Luke 16:13 – “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was drawn to the thought of commitment and service.   As I read in the Book of Daniel, I saw this truth. Daniel, a captive, chose to serve God faithfully, and out of that flowed faithful service to his captors.  His commitment to God produced an unimpeachable integrity.

In Luke 16, Jesus emphasized commitment and service.   He revealed the necessity of choice in verse 13.  In verse 17, He revealed the eternality of God’s Word and the impossibility of God to fail.

Luke 16:17 – “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one letter of the law to pass away.”   Then, He seems to totally go off message in verse 18 – “He who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery: And he who marries the one who is illegally separated commits adultery.”

Is that off message?   No, I believe He was emphasizing the requirements and importance of commitment and service.  First is commitment to God, which translates into service and commitment to others.

Many Christians seem to think they have punched their ticket to heaven by doing their religious duty.   Luke 17:9-10 blows that out of the water.   We think we will get in and be rewarded for the dutiful things we do.   Commitment of the whole self translates into service that reflects the heart of God and is above and beyond.   It is service out of love, not duty or expectation of Reward.

Daniel first gave Himself to God, and then he was able to serve, which brought honor to God and reward to Daniel.  If my whole being is committed to God, it becomes impossible not to serve others.

Luke 17:20-21, Jesus said, The Kingdom is not discovered by what we see or do; it is who we are…“for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”   What is in us flows out of us and impacts everything!  We win the lost through commitment and service, not eloquence and oratory.

Determine, like Daniel, to give your whole self to God and watch things around you change. It may not become trouble-free, but will be it will be victorious!

Lord help us to be servants even if we find ourselves in servitude!  Help us to manifest the heart, nature, character, and presence of Jesus!