The Heart of a Servant That Pleases God
“And (the servant) prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham,
give me success today ….’”
Genesis 24:12 (GN)
Tucked away in the 24th chapter of Genesis is a little-known story that captures the real heart of a servant. It’s an endearing story of an aged patriarch, Abraham, sending his servant, Eliezer, on a special mission. The story also has a little humor, too.
You see, Abraham is getting up in years. His wife, Sarah, has passed away, and his only son, Isaac, who is now close to 40, is still hanging around the house. So, Abraham sends his servant, Eliezer, out to find his son a wife. He makes him promise to find just the right girl to carry on the promise God had given to him years before. Now, that’s a tall order, isn’t it? Makes you wonder if Eliezer may have thought, “How does he expect me to find his son a wife if he can’t find one for himself?” Actually, we don’t have to wonder what Eliezer thought, because the Scripture is clear in portraying the heart of this faithful servant.
Interestingly, Eliezer is the same servant to whom Abraham referred to in Genesis 15. This was before Isaac’s birth. Since Abraham and Sarah had no children after the promise God had given them of becoming a great nation with many descendants, Abraham thought that the promise would come through his servant, Eliezer. So, he was prepared to adopt his servant as the male heir to the promise, and all the inheritance would be his. Think of it. Eliezer would have received all of Abraham’s wealth if he had no son, yet when Isaac was born the inheritance became Isaac’s. The point is that this servant still loyally served his master despite having been displaced by another heir. In addition, he now faithfully serves that heir on this mission. Both his attitude and actions on this mission reveal the awesome heart of a servant that pleases God.
He promises to faithfully carry out the mission as directed by Abraham with a willing attitude even though the journey would take 450 miles one way by camel, and Eliezer was about 85 years old by now.
He prays, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today and keep your promise to my master ….” (Vs. 12-14) He asks specifically for God to point out the right girl, so he may take her back to Isaac.
He knelt down and worshipped the Lord in praise when God answered his prayer! “Praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has faithfully kept His promise to my master. The Lord has led me …” (Vs. 26 – 27)
He stayed focused until his mission was accomplished. “When food was brought, the (servant) said, ‘I will not eat until I have said what I have to say… don’t make us stay. The Lord has made my journey a success; let me go back to my master.’” (V. 33)
Do you have a servant’s heart like that? Most of us would rather be served than to serve, wouldn’t we? Maybe it’s time to improve your service. Begin by examining your heart. Ask God to give you a servant’s heart that pleases Him. Then, think of ways you can serve someone this week. Be intentional as you pray and look for needs that you can meet that would benefit someone else. I can think of two ways right now – The Festival of Lights from now till December 29th and any of our many upcoming Christmas Eve services provide wonderful opportunities to serve others. Click here and check it out. Remember, we serve God by serving others.
Then, ask God to bless your efforts with success and see what He does through you!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.