In Mark 5: 15 we read, “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
On a wall in D. L. Moody’s home were two pictures that said, “Yes, it pays to serve the Lord!” The first portrait showed him with fourteen boys he had diligently gathered from the poor section of the city, and it portrayed the class on the first day they came to Sunday School. Their faces were joyless, and their appearance was unkempt. The second picture featured twelve of these boys a few months later. What a contrast! Their faces were joyful, and they were neat and clean. Obviously something wonderful had happened to them; they had been saved. Moody’s task had met with resistance, and it had been difficult, but oh, how worthwhile!
Jesus’ ministry on earth also shows us that it pays to serve God – even when opposed. Often when He did good things, He was misunderstood, wronged, and hated. When He healed a demon-possessed man in Gadara, for instance, the people were so frightened that they ordered Him to leave. Even Jesus’ disciples may have wondered if He should have healed the demoniac, but their attitude likely changed when they saw the man “sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind.”
In serving the Lord, we may encounter misunderstanding. Yet we must not despair. If we follow Jesus’ example, we will reap a harvest of joy. When we reach heaven, we will see the people we helped, and we will hear the words “well done” from our Savior – and that will make it all worthwhile. Yes, it pays to serve the Lord!
What to do:
✞Don’t quit – be faithful.
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