listening

Out of Service and LOVE

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I saw a red “OOS” notice tag, a new one sitting on the bench in case a machine went “Out of Service”, and it struck me differently this time – it was but a glimpse of not glory but truth, hard truth, in gluing oneself to Jesus’s message of SERVICE of SERVING. “Out of service” could be not NOT working but instead working for the Lord from an aspect of service – “out of” is being of “service” – YES!!!

Maybe “OOS” is like saying: don’t let the humans use me, but surely God can and is.

Because even if (especially if) we are not working in a human ‘take charge’ way, like ‘take charge of my time’ or ‘I’m going to be a bull in a china shop’ or even ‘I’m going to be sneaky’, we should always and instead BE HUMBLE to listen to God, to be OF SERVICE with the Lord, to the Lord’s leading, for the Lord’s purpose which is much bigger in scope than our small task of the moment. 

Being OF service is loving God out of our service to Him. Letting Him use our devotion as an example. 

Being OF SERVICE, working “out of service” to Him to His mission, is exactly what I was thinking about then viewing the tag, and that by our service to others, we are serving not ourselves but the Lord’s bigger plan and His momentum can carry us. We do need to serve Him, out of a service mindset, to take directions… and service for the Lord’s cause, even if sometimes we are set up as an example by Him to show not our success but our humility and humbleness to listen and love, still accomplishes His Will.

We can function out of service and LOVE, working with God. 

Amazingly, a devotion today from the “Daily Dose”, that I read occasionally, was in this same mindset, a revelation of God’s will in our lives means to let Him be strong through our weaknesses. 

The author states: “Our God is so amazing, as everything is almost the opposite of what the world teaches in order to be a success! For instance, God tells us that He who is last and serves others will be first! Mark 9:35″

YES! WOW: reading below: “He does not allow us to fully accomplish His perfect will without relying on His guidance and His power.” YES – He is the vine, we are the branches and without Him we can accomplish nothing… “He does not allow us to fully accomplish His perfect will without relying on His guidance and His power.”

Yes humbly we must be of service and listen. Humbly yes…

Here is a short poem:

Humbly Lord, we say Yes.

Our efforts should not be a guess,

Listening to You is never an excess.

Being obedient to You brings success. 

Success in showing Love despite every trespass.

Humbly yes Lord, yes.

Yes. 

Amen 

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And please read the Daily Dose devotion from Bob Bennett- https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=5a7bbf443189708255b21f430&id=a5ef685dfd

The Daily Dose

God is Strong 9/16/2025

Good Morning – does the thought of being weak anger you? 

2 Corinthians 13:19 “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.”

“God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” 1 Corinthians 1:27 Our God is so amazing, as everything is almost the opposite of what the world teaches in order to be a success! For instance, God tells us that He who is last and serves others will be first! Mark 9:35 This was certainly not anything I was taught in any coaching or business training courses I participated in during younger years. Actually, just the opposite until I began to correlate the teaching with the Word of God. I began to understand that while God has individually gifted us all with the certain talents for whatever He has purposed us to accomplish in this world, He does not allow us to fully accomplish His perfect will without relying on His guidance and His power.

God also tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches and that whoever abides in Him, will bear much fruit. But He also tells us that apart from Him, we can do nothing! John 15:5 So if being successful in this life is so dependent on God, then what is our part? God has made our part actually very simple. We are to simply seek after Him each day, “as a deer pants for the water.” Psalm 42:1 We are to humble ourselves, pray, hear from heaven, repent and turn from our sin. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Then “deny yourself, take up our cross and follow Jesus”. Mark 8:34 Once we have heard from God, we are to simply be obedient and ready for every good work Titus 3:1 , while trusting in God’s faithfulness and that He will go before us and never leave or forsake us!

Lord, thank you for loving us so much and making us strong in You. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

Have another powerful and prosperous day of trusting the Lord’s strength and power as you sacrificially serve and love others in the workplace and at home. “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us!” Hebrews 12:1

Bob Bennett

Real Men Ministries

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” — Philippians 2:3

The Good Stuff God is Known For, Daniel 1

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Suitable for back to school talk – back to focus – back to God…

God is known for so many good things, miracles and such – and just good living – Daniel’s story tells of, in chapter 1, that devotion to God is a really good thing to have – and this devotion is obedience and understanding that God’s rules and plans are good for us. Even God’s vegetables…  really God is good.

Daniel and his friends are “recruited” really forced because this is the time of besiege of Jerusalem by Babylon – and Daniel and three others are being “trained” to serve in the King’s court – trained for 3 years – (that is unbelievable too – three years of what kind of training?) – but Daniel refuses to eat’s the kings table food (which was probably the best they could offer those days) – but God offered something better – and not just vegetables – He offered the wisdom to live. Daniel and his three other companions tapped into God’s wisdom. 

First – after refusing to eat – the guard made a plea with Daniel – look I am only doing my job – help me out here – well Daniel made an agreement for a trial basis to test things out – and only 10 days ate under God’s purposes – and guess what – not just eating but exercising too and learning and what not…  And they turned out to be the best of the best… and they didn’t have to be enchanters or magicians, just God’s people.

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

Yes, it took three years and yes it took work and yes it took wisdom to learn – most importantly it took the dedication to God to live the life that He wanted them to live – and the rest was gravy – no I am not talking about vegetable gravy…

The good stuff God is known for is His dedication to those dedicated to Him. The wisdom to know – and the means to work – even under the oppressive circumstances. 

I’m glad God is in control. Let’s listen to Him always.

Amen

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Daniel 1

Daniel’s Training in Babylon

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.  And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.