August 3
Faithful
Waiting
Luke 12:35-37
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.”
Daily Steps
The command to Be on guard! Be alert! (Day 215) is not a call to frantic anxiety, but a call to faithful waiting and ongoing service. This parable provides the new believer with the encouraging picture of the reward for a life of present readiness.
The peace in this certainty is found in the servant's reward:
The Posture of Readiness: The servants are told to "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning." This means spiritual preparedness is demonstrated by two practical actions: being dressed (ready to act in service) and having burning lamps (spiritual vigilance and a ready supply of light—the Word, Day 166).
The Reward for Watching: The master praises the servants found watching when he comes. Their reward is not simply rest, but a radical reversal of roles: he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. The Master will honor the faithful servants with the highest position of comfort and fellowship (The Ultimate Presence, Day 212).
The Result is Motivation: This promise transforms waiting from a tedious burden into a joyful, motivated pursuit. Knowing that your present, small acts of service and faithfulness are seen and will be rewarded with such immense honor and intimacy secures profound peace and encourages patience (Day 205).
Your peace in the future is secured by faithful service. Live dressed ready for service, knowing that the Master Himself will honor your watching with the ultimate, intimate reward of serving you.
Reflective Question
In what area of your life have you let your lamp go out (spiritual neglect) or taken off your dress of service (avoiding necessary ministry)? What is one simple act of faithful waiting you can perform today to be found watching when the Master returns?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess my tendency toward complacency while waiting for Your Son. I pray for the spiritual discipline to be dressed ready for service and keep my lamp burning.
I thank You for the incredible promise that You will honor my watching with the ultimate reward of Your own service. Secure my peace today in the joyful expectation of Your intimate return and the knowledge that I am faithfully waiting. Amen.
