“Show us how to increase our
faith”
the disciples ask
He answers
“When a servant comes in
from plowing or taking care of
sheep
does his master say,
‘Come in and eat with me’?
No
he says
‘Prepare my meal
put on your apron
and serve me’…
And does the master thank the
servant
for doing what he was told to do?
Of course not
In the same way
when you obey Me
you should say
‘We are unworthy servants
who have simply done our duty’”1
I pause
I ponder
“Show us how to increase our faith”
“…when you obey Me
you should say
‘We are unworthy servants
who have simply done our duty’”
I stare at the words hard
looking into them
searching them
waiting for the Spirit
to bring light
And then it shines
Faith is seeing who God is
and having a heart rightly
postured before Him
a heart bowed low
eyes upon the Master
It says that in a psalm—
“We keep looking to the LORD our
God for His mercy
just as servants keep their eyes
on their master
as a slave girl watches her
mistress for the slightest signal”2
the slightest signal
She is ready
that slave girl
She is watching
because she knows
she was purchased with purpose
She knows she was purchased
Her life belongs to the master
We were purchased
purchased out of slavery
we sold ourselves into
to a destructive death-lord
purchased by a Master
who bled
that LIFE might flow down over
our death
and wash us clean of it
set us free from it
free to be loved
The roots of that word
free
teach us this—
Freedom is belonging to the One
who loves us
He rescued us
because He delights in us3
And a heart that knows this—
a heart that knows it was rescued
and knows what it was rescued
from
and knows who it was rescued by
and knows what it was rescued
into
(arms of the Everlasting Glory
God whose presence is fullness of joy)—
a heart that knows this
bows low
broken with gratitude
Gratitude forms a life rightly
postured
Gratitude turns eyes from self to
Savior
It makes us ready
ready to do for Him
whatever He asks
because we long to give back
long to love in return
And we know we can never give
never love
enough
But we know we must give
must love
much
So we watch
for the slightest signal
And we move
to obey
responsive to Him
unmindful of payment
because we know we’ve been paid
for
unconscious of being thanked
because we are being thankful
“Show us how to increase our
faith”
Serve Him
grateful
for the grateful
are the faithful
and the faithful
full of faith
