Day 8/7 – Ministering and Learning

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Ministering and Learning
Day Two Hundred Nineteen

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

The wise servant of the Lord keeps clear the distinction between ministering and learning. Ministering is what you do for others and learning is what others do for you. Ministering and learning can most naturally occur in the same relationship. Paul understood this when anticipating his coming to Rome. “…that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”286

Late in Jesus public ministry the mother of the Zebedee brothers asked Him if her two sons could sit next to Him on His throne. The disciples began arguing among themselves as to who was the most worthy. Jesus instructed them that the world thinks in terms of getting people to minister to them; the follower of Christ seeks to be the one ministering. Following Jesus’ example, you find greatness in serving, not being served.

You can do two things that most people cannot resist, love and serve them. People want to be loved, and if you serve them without being obnoxious and overbearing, they will appreciate that. Loving and serving is the ministry and you do not need special gifts to do it.

You do not look to others to minister to you. You look for opportunities to minister to them. But you do look to others to teach you. The learner draws on the wisdom and expertise of others while at the same time seeking to serve them. Like serving, you can learn in an obnoxious and overbearing way, but you need not. The humble spirit of a learner is very attractive.

286 Romans 1:12

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Psalm 72-73 Romans 9:1-15 (New King James Version)

Psalm 72-73
Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm of Solomon.
72
Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
2
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
3
The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
4
He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will [a]break in pieces the oppressor.
5
[b]They shall fear You
As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
6
He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.
7
In His days the righteous shall flourish,
And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.
8
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9
Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
And His enemies will lick the dust.
10
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
11
Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
12
For He will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13
He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14
He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
15
And He shall live;
And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.
16
There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17
His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.
18
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
19
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
20
The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73–89
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of Asaph.
73
Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
3
For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4
For there are no [c]pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
5
They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6
Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
7
Their [d]eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8
They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak [e]loftily.
9
They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
10
Therefore his people return here,
And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11
And they say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12
Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13
Surely I have [f]cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14
For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15
If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16
When I thought how to understand this,
It was [g]too painful for me—
17
Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
18
Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19
Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20
As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21
Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was [h]vexed in my mind.
22
I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23
Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the [i]strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27
For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who [j]desert You for harlotry.
28
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works.
Footnotes:
• Psalm 72:4 crush
• Psalm 72:5 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. They shall continue
• Psalm 73:4 pains
• Psalm 73:7 Tg. face bulges; LXX, Syr., Vg. iniquity bulges
• Psalm 73:8 Proudly
• Psalm 73:13 kept my heart pure in vain
• Psalm 73:16 troublesome in my eyes
• Psalm 73:21 Lit. pierced in my kidneys
• Psalm 73:26 Lit. rock
• Psalm 73:27 Are unfaithful to You

Romans 9:1-15
Israel’s Rejection of Christ
9 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my [a]countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Israel’s Rejection and God’s Purpose
6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”
10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
Israel’s Rejection and God’s Justice
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
Footnotes:
• Romans 9:3 Or relatives