July 11:  The Joy of Service.

The Greatest Joy.
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' "--Luke 15:4-6, NKJV

THE PARABLE OF THE STRAYING SHEEP should be treasured as a motto in every household.  The divine Shepherd leaves the ninety and nine, and goes out into the wilderness to seek the one that is lost.  There are thickets, quagmires, and dangerous crevices in the rocks, and the Shepherd knows that if the sheep is in any of these places, a friendly hand must help it out.  As He hears its bleating afar off, He encounters any and every difficulty that He may save His sheep that is lost.  When He discovers the lost one, He does not greet it with reproaches.  He is only glad that He has found it alive.  With firm yet gentle hand He parts the briers or takes it from the mire; tenderly He lifts it to His shoulders and bears it back to the fold.  The pure, sinless Redeemer bears the sinful, the unclean.

The Sin Bearer carries the befouled sheep; yet so precious is His burden that He rejoices, singing: "I have found My sheep which was lost."  Luke 15:6....

...We must bear in mind the great joy manifested by the Shepherd at the recovery of the lost.  He calls upon His neighbors: "Rejoice with Me; for I have found My sheep which was lost."  And all heaven echoes the note of joy.  The Father Himself joys over the rescued one with singing.  What a holy ecstasy of joy is expressed in this parable!  That joy is your privilege to share.

Are you, who have this example before you, co-operating with Him who is seeking to save the lost?  Are you colabors with Christ?--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, 124, 125.

July 10:  The Joy of Service.

Treating Christ's Servants Well.
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem.--Philippians 2:29, NKJV

THE MISSION OF CHRIST'S SERVANTS is a high honor, and a sacred trust.  "He that receiveth you," He says, "receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me."  No act of kindness shown to them in His name will fail to be recognized and rewarded.  And in the same tender recognition He includes the feeblest and lowliest of the family of God: "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones"--those who are as children in their faith and their knowledge of Christ--"a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in nowise lose his reward."--The Desire of Ages, 357.

To all who, in time of trial and want, give sympathy and assistance to others more needy, God has promised great blessing.  He has not changed....No less sure now than when spoken by our Saviour is the promise, "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward."  Matthew 10:41.

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."  Hebrews 13:2.  These words have lost none of their force through the lapse of time.  Our heavenly Father still continues to place in the pathway of His children opportunities that are blessings in disguise; and those who improve these opportunities find great joy.--Prophet and Kings, 131, 132.

                              "And the King will answer and say to them,
                           'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it
                     to one of the least of these My brethren, you did to Me."
                                                                                       --Matthew 25:40, NKJV

July 9:  The Joy of Service.

Let Us Not Build Walls of Separation.
"You did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything."--Deuteronomy 28:47, NKJV

GOD CHOSE ISRAEL to reveal His character to men.  He desired them to be as wells of salvation in the world.  To them were committed the oracles of heaven, the revelation of God's will....

But the people of Israel lost sight of their high privileges as God's representatives.  They forgot God and failed to fulfill their holy mission.  The blessings they received brought no blessing to the world.  All their advantages they appropriated for their own glorification.  They shut themselves away from the world in order to escape temptation.  The restrictions that God had placed upon their association with isolators as a means of preventing them from conforming to the practices of the heathen, they used to build up a wall of separation between themselves and all other nations.  They robbed God of the service He required of them, and they robbed their fellow men of religious guidance and a holy example....

The Jewish leaders thought themselves too wise to need instruction, too righteous to need salvation, too highly honored to need the honor that comes from Christ.  The Saviour turned from them to entrust to others the privilege they had abused and the work they had slighted.--The Acts of the Apostles, 14, 16.

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), is Christ's command to His followers.  Not that all are called to be ministers or missionaries in the ordinary sense of the term; but all may be workers with Him in giving the "glad tidings" to their fellow men.  To all, great and small, learned or ignorant, old or young, the command is given.--Education, 264.

July 8:  The Joy of Service.

Finding Joy in Any Sacrifice for Him.
What thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?--1 Thessalonians 3:9, 10, NKJV

LOVE TO JESUS will be manifested in a desire to work as He worked for the blessing and uplifting of humanity.  It will lead to love, tenderness, and sympathy toward all the creatures of our heavenly Father's care.

The Saviour's life on earth was not a life of ease and devotion to Himself, but He toiled with persistent, earnest untiring effort for the salvation of lost mankind....

So those who are the partakers of the grace of Christ will be ready to make any sacrifice, that others for whom He died may share the heavenly gift.  They will do all they can to make the world better for their stay in it.--Steps to Christ, 77, 78.

But if you call God your Father you acknowledge yourselves His children, to be guided by His wisdom and to be obedient in all things, knowing that His love is changeless.  You will accept His plan for your life.  As children of God, you will hold His honor, His character, His family, His work, as the objects of your highest interest.  It will be your joy to recognize and honor your relation to your Father and to every member of His family.  You will rejoice to do any act, however humble, that will tend to His glory or to the well-being of your kindred.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 105.

               I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live,
             but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh
          I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
                                                                                              --Galatians 2:20, NKJV

July 7:  The Joy of Service.

Ready to Spend and Be Spent.
I will gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.--2 Corinthians 12:15, NKJV

HOWEVER TRYING THEIR LABOR, the true workers do not regard it as drudgery.  They are ready to spend and to be spent; but it is a cheerful work, done with a glad heart.  Joy in God is expressed through Jesus Christ.  Their joy is the joy set before Christ--"to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work."  John 4:34.  They are in co-operation with the Lord of glory.  This thought sweetens all toil, it braces the will, it nerves the spirit for whatever may befall.  Working with unselfish heart, ennobled by being partakers of Christ's sufferings, sharing His sympathies, and co-operating with Him in His labor, they help to swell the tide of His joy and bring honor and praise to His exalted name.

This is the spirit of all true service for God....

And however short our service or humble our work, if in simple faith we follow Christ, we shall not be disappointed of the reward....Blessed will be the recompense of grace to those who have wrought for God in the simplicity of faith and love.--Christ's Object Lessons, 402, 403, 404.

                 "But take careful heed to do the commandments and the law
                     which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you,
                        to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways,
                           to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him,
                   and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
                                                                              --Joshua 22:5, NKJV

July 6:  The Joy of Service.

Serving Gladly Every Day.
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.  Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.--Psalm 100:2, 3, NKJV

THERE IS COMFORT AND JOY in the service of Christ.--The Ministry of Healing, 487.

He desires us to serve Him in newness of life, with gladness every day.--Christ's Object Lessons, 299.

The exceeding rewards for right-doing, the enjoyment of heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and love of God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages--are these not incentives and encouragements to urge us to give the heart's loving service to our Creator and Redeemer?--Steps to Christ, 21.

All the varied capabilities that men possess--of mind and soul and body--are given them by God, to be so employed as to reach the highest possible degree of excellence.  But this cannot be a selfish and exclusive culture; for the character of God, whose likeness we are to receive, is benevolence and love.  Every faculty, every attribute, with which the Creator has endowed us is to be employed for His glory and for the uplifting of our fellow men.  And in this employment is found its purest, noblest, and happiest exercise.--Patriarchs and Prophets, 595.

                "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.
                                       Freely you have received, freely give."
                              
                                                    --Matthew 10:8, NKJV

July 5:  The Joy of Service.

The Latter Rain Will Be More Abundant Than the Former Rain.
Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you--the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.--Joel 2:23, NKJV

THE SPIRIT CAME UPON THE WAITING, praying disciples with a fullness that reached every heart.  The Infinite One revealed Himself in power to His church.  It was as if for ages this influence had been held in restraint, and now Heaven rejoiced in being able to pour out upon the church the riches of the Spirit's grace.  And under the influence of the Spirit, words of penitence and confession mingled with songs of praise for sins forgiven.  Words of thanksgiving and of prophecy were heard.  All heaven bent low to behold and to adore the wisdom of matchless, incomprehensible love.  Lost in wonder, the apostles exclaimed, "Herein is love."  They  grasped the imparted gift.  And what followed?  The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief.  Thousands were converted in a day.--The Acts of the Apostles, 38.

The disciples were astonished and overjoyed at the greatness of the harvest of souls.--The Acts of the Apostles, 44.

These scenes are to be repeated, and with greater power.  The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was the former rain, but the latter rain will be more abundant.  The Spirit awaits our demand and reception.--Christ's Object Lessons, 121.

          When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place,
              and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,
           and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them
          divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled
                       with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues,
                                       as the Spirit gave them utterance.
                              
                                                          --Acts 2:1-4, NKJV

July 4: The Joy of Service.

A Good Soldier of Christ.
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.--2 Timothy 2:3, 4, NLT

A GENUINE CHRISTIAN will labor only to please God, having an eye to His glory and enjoying the reward of doing His will....

...Love for souls for whom Christ died will lead to a denial of self and a willingness to make any sacrifice in order to be co-workers with Christ in the salvation of souls.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, 548, 549.

The strength of an army is measured largely by the efficiency of the men in the ranks.  A wise general instructs his officers to train every soldier for active service.  He seeks to develop the highest efficiency on the part of all....He counts on loyal and untiring service from every man in his army....

And so it is in the army of Prince Immanuel.  Our General, who has never lost a battle, expects willing, faithful service from everyone who has enlisted under His banner.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, 116.

No man can succeed in the service of God unless his whole heart is in the work and he counts all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ.  No man who makes any reserve can be the disciple of Christ, much less can he be His colaborer.  When men appreciate the great salvation, the self-sacrifice seen in Christ's life will be seen in theirs.  Wherever He leads the way, they will rejoice to follow.--The Desire of Ages, 273.

July 3: The Joy of Service.

Healing More Than Lecturing.
"Behold, I send My messenger, and He will prepare the way before Me.  And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.  Behold, He is coming," says the Lord of hosts.--Malachi 3:1, NKJV

NEVER WAS THERE such an evangelist as Christ.  He was the Majesty of heaven, but He humbled Himself to take our nature, that He might meet men where they were.  To all people, rich and poor, free and bond, Christ, the Messenger of the covenant, brought the tidings of salvation....He went from city to city, from town to town, preaching the gospel and healing the sick--the King of glory in the lowly garb of humanity.--The Ministry of Healing, 22.

He was always patient and cheerful, and the afflicted hailed Him as a messenger of life and peace.  He saw the needs of men and women, children and youth, and to all He gave the invitation, "Come to Me."

During His ministry, Jesus devoted more time to healing the sick than to preaching.  His miracles testified to the truth of His words, that He came not to destroy, but to save.  Wherever He went, the tidings of His mercy preceded Him.  Where He had passed, the objects of His compassion were rejoicing in health and making trial of their new-found powers.  Crowds were collecting around them to hear from their lips the works that the Lord had wrought.  His voice was the first sound that many had ever heard.  His name the first word they had ever spoken, His face the first they had ever looked upon.  Why should they not love Jesus and sound His praise?  As He passed through the towns and cities He was like a vital current, diffusing life and joy.--The Ministry of Healing, 19.

July 2:  The Joy of Service.

Creating Opportunities.
"Behold!  My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!  I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."--Isaiah 42:1, NKJV

TO JESUS, WHO EMPTIED Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure.  So it will be given to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling.  Our Lord Himself has given the command, "Be filled with the Spirit'' (Ephesians 5:18), and this command is also a promise of its fulfillment.  It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should "all the fullness dwell," and "in Him ye are made full."  Colossians 1:19, R.V.; 2:10, R.V.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 20.

God wants you to work, not with self-disparagement nor in discouragement, but with the strongest faith and hope, with cheerfulness and joy, representing Christ to the world.  The religion of Jesus is joy, peace, and happiness.  As we search the Scriptures, and see the infinite condescension of the Father in giving Jesus to the world that all who believe in Him may have everlasting life, every power of our being should be called into activity, to give praise and honor and glory to Him for His unspeakable love to the children of men.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 579.

Let us work now as we have never worked before....We are to improve every opportunity of drawing souls to Christ....

The work to be carried on by the people of God is declared in the words of inspiration:..."Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him.  He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles....He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law."  Isaiah 42:1-4.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, 62, 64.