Serve the Lord with Gladness
Obadiah 1:11 says, “In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.”
The Edomites were descendants of Esau, the elder son of Isaac (Gen 25:30). They have always been the enemies of the Israelites who were Jacob’s descendants, the twin brother of Esau (Gen 25:26). Not only did the Edomites cause trouble with various forms of cruelty and violence (v. 10), but they also encouraged other foreigners to fight against Israel. Their pride and indifference became evident at the height of their prosperity (v. 3). Like spectators watching a game on the sidelines, they just “stood on the other side,” while their brothers were being “carried away captive” by foreign invaders.
Thus, God raised the prophet Obadiah to provide words of hope and deliverance to the Israelites (v. 17), as they suffered much affliction and misery. Sadly, there are so many professing believers today who are just standing on the sidelines and are not actively involved in their local church (Heb 10:25). Surely, not everyone is called to be pastors, evangelists, missionaries, teachers, or choir members (Eph 4:11). And God wants us to learn how to worship Him first “in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:24), before we can become workers (Lk 10:41). However, we are also called to be “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Eph 2:10)!
By God’s grace, He has gifted all His children with specific talents (Jms 1:17), to be used for His glory (1 Cor 10:31), “as good stewards” (1 Pet 4:10). Although God never expects any payment from us, He does expect a return on His investment (Mt 6:20). The work of grace through us (Prov 21:21), will always result in some very real changes in our lives, being “renewed in knowledge” (Col 3:10). These changes allow us to have a sincere and loving desire to “serve the Lord with gladness” (Ps 100:2). Don’t be a spectator; be a servant! God bless you!
-Pastor Melito Barrera
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