our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Aug 26, 2018, 1:41:47 AM8/26/18

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Unselfish Service

If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness. Isaiah 58:10

A small collection of people stood together, dwarfed by the size of the huge tree lying on the lawn. An elderly woman leaned on her cane and described watching the previous night’s windstorm as it blew down “our majestic old elm tree. Worst of all,” she continued, voice cracking with emotion, “it destroyed our lovely stone wall too. My husband built that wall when we were first married. He loved that wall. I loved that wall! Now it’s gone; just like him.”

Next morning, as she peeked out at the tree company workers cleaning up the downed tree; a big smile spread across her face. In between the branches she could just make out two adults and the boy who mowed her lawn carefully measuring and rebuilding her beloved stone wall!

The prophet Isaiah describes the kind of service God favors: acts that lift the hearts of those around us, like the wall repairers did for the elderly woman. This passage teaches that God values unselfish service to others over empty spiritual rituals. In fact, God exercises a two-way blessing on the selfless service of His children. First, God uses our willing acts of service to aid the oppressed and needy (Isaiah 58:7–10). Then God honors those engaged in such service by building or rebuilding our reputations as powerful positive forces in His kingdom (vv. 11–12). What service will you offer this day?

Thank You, Father, for the acts of others You use to lift us up, and for calling us to do the same.

Selfless service to others brings honor to God

无私的服事

你心若向饥饿的人发怜悯，使困苦的人得满足，你的光就必在黑暗中发现。-以赛亚书58章10节

有一小群人站在那里，在他们身边的草地上，那棵倒着的大树显得无比巨大。一位老太太扶着拐杖，述说前一晚猛烈的风暴吹倒了她家雄伟的老榆树。她还激动地说：“更糟的是，还毁了我宝贝的石墙。这片墙是我刚结婚的时候，我丈夫亲自砌筑起来的。我丈夫和我都很宝贵这片墙！但现在墙毁了，就像我丈夫也不在了。”

隔天早上，她看见窗外树木工人清理倒下的树时，脸上展露出微笑。因为她透过层层枝桠，看到有两个人和一个帮她剪草的男孩，正在小心翼翼地测量和重建她心爱的石墙！

先知以赛亚讲论上帝所喜悦的服事，就是付出行动使周遭的人喜乐，就像这些修墙工人为这位老太太所做的一样。今天阅读的这段经文教导我们，上帝看重无私的服事，更甚于空洞的宗教仪式。事实上，上帝儿女无私的服事会得着祂双向的赐福。首先，上帝用我们甘心的服事让受压迫和有需要的人得帮助（以赛亚书58章7-10节）。接着，上帝会尊荣服事的人，让他们在祂的国度中成为多人的祝福（11-12节）。今天，你会如何服事呢？

感谢天父，祢藉由别人的服事使我们的心喜乐，
感谢祢也让我们有机会如此行！