WHEN the farmers are working in the fields on a hot summer day they grow thirsty quite often. Frequently during the day their daughters, wives or sisters carry them out a jug of pure, cold water. The water is very welcome and refreshing. Although it costs little or nothing beside the trouble of getting it, it tastes better to the hot, thirsty man, than anything else.
Sometimes we hear people say, “I want to live for Jesus, I want to serve Him, but there is nothing I can do.” Jesus says, “WHOSOEVER SHALL GIVE YOU A CUP OF WATER TO DRINK IN MY NAME BECAUSE YE BELONG TO CHRIST, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, HE SHALL NOT LOSE HIS REWARD.” MARK 9:4141For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. (Mark 9:41).
The trouble with these people is that they think they must do something great. They think Jesus does not notice the little things they can do.
Dear reader, whether you are old or whether you are young, you can serve your blessed Saviour.
A little girl who had just learned to know Jesus was once asked how she knew she was a Christian. She replied, I sweep under the rugs now. When working for her mistress she had been in the habit of getting through with her work as quickly and easily as possible. But after she learned to love Jesus she did her work just as though she were doing it for Him alone. Her wish then was to see how well she could do it rather than how easily and quickly.
We all have some work to do. We all have duties of some kind. Did you ever think that we can serve God while performing these daily tasks? If we do our work well and patiently in faithfulness to Him and for His sake, it pleases Him and He will not forget to give us our reward.
The smallest act of kindness—even a kind word—if prompted by love for our Saviour, is true service and will not lose its reward.
Just as the cold water which costs nothing, is so acceptable to the thirsty man, so a very little act of service is as acceptable to God as some great deed that costs perhaps many dollars.
If you read the last four verses of Mark 12 or the first four verses of Luke 21, you will see that it is not always the greatest gifts that please God the most. God counted the widow’s wee, small offering, because it was all she had, greater than the large sums of money the rich men gave. For after they had made their big offerings they still had plenty left.
Remember, then, that when we have only a little to give, that little is just as great in God’s sight as a rich man’s millions. And one little word we speak for Jesus can bring a greater reward and more approval from God than the grandest sermons that are preached in the finest churches, when God’s glory is not the first object.
ML 06/26/1904