September 18, 2025
24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
There tends to be a crisis in the modern church in which Christians have become convinced that God doesn't need us to serve Him. Maybe we have come to the belief that "serving God" is reserved only for a select few people. Or, maybe we think that having our own personal and individualized relationship with God is what constitutes "serving". The truth is, these are all small departures away from the true service God requires from us as His children. Let us ponder this question over the next three weeks, what does it really mean to serve God?
In his farewell speech to all of Israel, Samuel spoke these memorable yet critical words of instruction found in our passage. He invites us to three things: to fear the Lord, serve Him faithfully with all our hearts, and consider the great things He has done for us. We will look at all three over the course of the next few devotionals.
We should notice that Samuel doesn't admonish Israel to simply follow rules and call it service to God. He doesn't ask them to carelessly participate in their religious duties or mindlessly follow the commands of the law. In fact, there is no point in fulfilling all the requirements of the law if it were going to be done with no fear, no heart and no deep consideration of God. This applies to the church today. We might attend all the church services, occasionally read our Bibles, and think about the Lord every so often, but if there is no genuine heart that is in love with God, then it is all in vain. Jesus tells us that the foundation of all the commandments is loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Therefore, serving God is not a lighthearted or trivial activity to check off in a box. Nor is it some social excursion we use to pass the time. According to the Bible, it is the most important thing we will ever do.
Samuel tells us that if we want to truly serve God, we must firstly learn to fear Him. Have you ever wondered why we don't always have that desire to serve in church or why we haven't supported the work of His ministry? It is likely because the fear of the Lord has not yet gripped our hearts in an overwhelming way. To fear God is to have a holy respect for His person and being. It is to have a humble reverence for the authority He carries as Lord over the universe and also over every breath that we take. It is to stand in awe of who He is and to be ready to obey any of His requests. Just as a servant would bow to their king as he would enter the room, so are we to bow to King Jesus. Just as this same servant would freely offer their lives in service of their king, so are we to render humble service to Jesus Christ.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 states that this is the chief duty of all mankind, to fear God and keep his commandments. If we're having trouble serving God today, it might be that we have a fear problem. Perhaps we're more fearful of what others might think of us. Or, we're more fearful about making mistakes and having all the right knowledge. No matter our hesitation today, we must be solely driven by our love and fear for God above all else.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I repent for the ways I have run away from your calling. I have chosen my own path and have not feared you or revered your holy name. Help me to realign my mind and my heart in total humility. Teach me to be submissive and teach me to be servant for your kingdom's sake. Amen.