Fervor in Serving the Lord - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.
2 Timothy 1:6; Revelation 3:2

Fervor in Serving the Lord
Paul, in speaking to Timothy in the verse above, was telling him to stir up what he already had in him, that is, the gift of God. God has accomplished the work of salvation, and there is nothing you need to do other than believe and put your trust in that finished work. As a Christian, this is the basis for all that follows. With that said, our service for God ought to be a voluntary offering, as it were, one in which we, by His grace, have a part.

How would you characterize your service for God? Is it consistently ardent, or does it ebb and flow? We all need a bit of nudging once in a while to renew our energy for the Lord.

Perhaps you are in a particularly low state at this time, like a fire that has been left to become glowing embers, without any flames. God would gently stir up the embers in order to rekindle a flame in your life.

Or perhaps you have settled into a consistent service, but it has become somewhat routine. God would stir you up in order to revive the zeal that once was there—just as a galloping horse that has reached a comfortable rhythm might be prodded by its rider at a moment where even more speed is required, and somehow the animal gathers up an extra dose of strength and accelerates.

Having stirred ourselves up, we also have a responsibility to strengthen those around us. The report of the church in Sardis shows there was definite room for improvement (Rev. 3:1-6), yet one of the challenges the Spirit would lay upon them was to strengthen that which remains. May this be our burden as well! Our strength is not in ourselves, but in the One who has called us to this service .

Eric Clermont