12 August 2016

ARE YOU A WILLING VOLUNTEER?

By John Ollis

You may remember the saying, ONE VOLUNTEER IS BETTER THAN TEN PRESSED MEN.

I read in Psalm 110: 3 this morning King David’s words.  “Your People (God’s people) will be WILLING VOLUNTEERS (kjv&nkjv)  in the day of God’s power.

I asked myself the questions,

Am I truly willing?

Am I a volunteer?

Why do we do what we do in the work of God ? Is it because it is expected of us by people? Are we subconsciously “works oriented”  thinking what we do will give us “brownie points” with God or man? Are we externally willing, but in our heart, we really don’t want to co-operate with the purposes of God?

Are we with sheer joy simply wanting to volunteer to serve the Lord and His people? Not looking for compensation, or reward, but simply for the awesome privilege of doing it. Even when it isn’t apparent the it is God’s day of power, when the enemy seems to be winning, and God’s people struggling, we serve willingly because we  have faith in our sovereign God.

David goes on and tells us how and why we can be willing volunteers. We do it in the beauty of God’s) holiness that now dwells in us, there  is a power now that helps us to be willing to do what God wants us to do. Naturally we would have run a mile, but now we happily and willingly want to serve.

David then suggests in verse four, as Jeremiah does in Lamentations 3:23, that new every morning is God’s mercy and love and faithfulness, every day is a new day of joy and excitement and anticipation of what lies ahead.  We may be physically begin to age, but “our youth is being renewed like an eagle (Psalm 103:5) and we want to soar to the heights like an eagle.

King David speaking prophetically, looking to the Day of the New Covenant, that we are priests forever according to the order of Melchizedek (verse four) not Levitical  priests offering animal sacrifices but as a Royal holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices like:

The sacrifice of Thanksgiving Psalm 107:22

The sacrifice of Joy (or shouting) Psalm 27:6

The sacrifice of Praise Hebrews 13:15

The sacrifice of Righteousness Psalm 4:5

The sacrifice of Obedience  (and our bodies) Romans 12:1

The sacrifice of a Broken Spirit Psalm 51:16-19

The sacrifice of Hospitality  Hebrews 13:16

The sacrifice of Lifted Hands  Psalm 141:1-2

The sacrifice of Tithes and Offerings  Malachi 3:8-12

The sacrifice of Time  Psalm 90:12

Well, by the grace of God I want to be a “willing volunteer” do you ?

As you prepare for the weekend and going to Father’s House, and meeting especially with him and His people, keep this thought in mind. God bless you.