I Tried Hard to Serve the Lord

Even desperately wanting to serve the LORD can be a thing we try too hard to do. Striving to serve the Lord is a wearisome task. We might even find ourselves arguing with God; "why are You making it so difficult to serve You? After all, I have made myself available."

The problem is not so much our desire, as sincere as that may be. The problem is doing it God’s way, in God’s timing, and in God’s power. That convicting Scripture comes to mind: Zechariah 4:6 ESV

Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”

I must remember that He doesn’t need me to accomplish anything, but He will use me if I am submitted to his plan and purpose. He doesn’t strip away my personality, my family relations, my interest, but molds and shapes my whole person as a different, yet unique follower of JESUS.

One of my interests is cooking. Even in creating a recipe I see God working right beside of me, giving me fresh insights and new inspiration. The most important thing is including Him in everything, whether I sense His presence or not.

~ Pastor Mike

We released 33 Monarch butterflies in 2022. I observed their struggle forming into the chrysalis stage pic #1. Then I watched this intense struggle to free itself to become a new creation pic #2. This reminds me how God was preparing me for His purpose, not my own.