Simon’s mother-in-law was sick when Jesus came to visit, but not for long.  Jesus healed her, and immediately she arose and began to serve.  To serve.  What an incredible example of humble service to God.  Jesus gave her health, and she served him.  Even so God has given each of us whatever level of health we have so that we might serve him.  That is the reason we exist – to serve him and in doing so bring him glory.  Are we using the health God gives us to serve him?

Serving God can take many forms, but most often it comes in the form of serving people.  Simon’s mother-in-law served God by serving not only Jesus but also the disciples.  Even so, we can serve God by serving people.  We can serve God as we serve our families.  We can serve God as we serve our employers (see Colossians 3:23-24).  We can serve God as we serve our church family.  We can serve God as we serve the poor and needy.  We can serve God as we serve our neighbors, our friends, and the list goes on.

But do we see our service to people as service to God?  Do we offer up our service to people as service to God?  How do we approach serving?  What is our attitude?

And are we using the health God has given us to serve God by serving people?  Or are we too busy serving ourselves?

Simon’s mother-in-law gives us a good example of humble service to God.  May God’s Spirit help us to follow her godly example.

(Luke 4:38-39)

One day an angel visited Mary with incredible news.  She was going to be the mother of the Messiah.  She would bear the one whose coming was foretold throughout the Old Testament.  What a privilege!  But she is confused.  She isn’t married.  How can she bear a child?  The angel tells her it will be through the Holy Spirit.  It will be a miraculous, supernatural birth.

Mary’s life suddenly becomes very complicated.  She was going to have a child outside of marriage in a culture that firmly held to God’s law?  What would her fiance Joseph think?  And while a great privilege to bear the Messiah – what an incredible responsibility to raise such a child.

But her response speaks volumes about the character of this young woman.  “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”  She is God’s servant.  She will humbly do what God says.  She gives us an incredible example of humble submission to God. She will submit to his word.

When we come to God’s Word, do we come with the attitude: “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”?  Do we approach the Word ready to humbly submit to his authority?  To do whatever he commands?  To believe whatever he says?  To follow wherever he leads?  No matter what?  No matter how hard?  No matter whether we like it or not?  No matter what others think or say?  Do we come to the Word, ready to humbly submit to God?

The answers to these questions will have serious ramifications for our lives.  As we approach God’s Word today, this week, are we ready to humbly submit to his Word?

(Luke 1:26-38)