What Part Am I?

So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them. - Jeremiah 27:7

Given this verse this morning without context, one might at first think of a prophecy of Jesus until we get to that second part. Wait, our Lord can never be forced to serve another king! Exactly. The context of this prophecy refers to Nebuchadnezzar. We can know this for a certainty because in verse 6 the man is specified by name. Before Daniel arrived in the court, the Spirit of God sent the king a dream many times. Then, Daniel received the interpretation of this dream from the Lord. Separated by some time and distance, Jeremiah the prophet also received the words about Nebuchadnezzar. So, what part do you and me play in the kingdom?

We once thought it good to be a part of the 1%, maybe this is our chance. Then again, when it comes to the work God began long before our birth, our human weaknesses, and how easily the lost sheep wander out of the fold, maybe we are a part of the 1% of 1%. Building a welcoming church building, holding a Bible study, greeting people as they come to our town or state, or any of the other work we do in the kingdom may be just 1% of the work of God, or a whole lot less than that. Yet, after the work of salvation, which is all on God's Son, we do have a part and God would not have us slack off on the performance.

It is interesting to note that by the time of Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, God had been at work for quite some time in this project. Indeed, by the time those of us who will read this devotional came upon the scene and believed in the Lord Jesus, God had been at work for many a century. Nations rose and fell and His command, but still there is a part for you and me to play in building the kingdom of God. Let us play that part with prayer and faith in our Lord Jesus!

Bucky