I recently watched an amazing video on one of my social media platforms that showed an extremely well-trained Belgian Malinois dog. When I say well-trained, I mean well-trained! This dog could follow the slightest cue from his trainer. I confess, I may have watched it more than once in complete amazement at how this dog was so in-tune with his trainer. There were no words spoken, the dog just carefully watched his trainer and responded to what he saw.
I thought of this video today when I read a devotion that shared Psalm 123:2 and explained that as Christ’s servants we are to be like the servants in the verse. “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” (NLT). This verse describes a servant carefully and intently watching her master in order to respond in obedience to the slightest of commands.
I’m sure you can understand why the verse reminded me of the dog in the video. The dog was a vivid illustration of this verse. He was laser-focused and immediately responsive to his master and in order for that to occur, a few things had to happen. He spent a lot of time with his master, learning from him and listening to him. He also had to learn to keep his focus on his master. I think you can see where we are headed, my friend. According to the verse above, I need to do what this dog has done!
If I truly desire to please my Master, I must learn to do what this dog and this servant girl in Psalm 123:2 have done. And it all starts with focus! Focus is the main idea in both of these examples. As believers, the verse challenges us to focus on our Master. We are to be focused on Him, watching, and waiting, ready to respond to the slightest command. This implies an intense focus that allows for no distractions. It describes one whose gaze is firmly fixed on the One whom they are ready to obey.
This is not a casual focus we are talking about. It is one that has been learned, studied, and perfected. It requires a knowledge of the Master that can read even the slightest of cues. This is one who has learned to recognize and immediately obey that “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12). This is one who has dedicated the time and effort necessary to intimately know their Master. This servant is watching, waiting, and ready to do the will of the One they serve.
The only way any of this is possible is if they have their eyes completely fixed on their Master. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2. Dear heart, we have to fix our eyes on Jesus and keep them on Him! We have to look away from the things of this world and fix our eyes on Jesus, allowing Him to direct our steps.
Beloved, if you have read very much of my writing lately, you already know I believe that we are not only in the last days, but we are also in the very last minutes of the last days. I believe that the enemy knows his time is growing shorter, therefore, he is active like I have never seen before. This world seems to be growing darker and more wicked by the day. This is why I believe it is so important that we, as believers, learn to fix our eyes on Jesus and let nothing sway us or distract us.
We have to keep our eyes fixed on Him, let His Word and His Holy Spirit be our guide, and do all we can to know Him better every day. We cannot afford to allow ourselves to be distracted by this world, beloved. Too much is at stake! We must determine to keep our eyes and our hearts focused on Him. We must determine to know Him so well that we truly hear the slightest command from that “still small voice”. This can only be done by getting in His Word on a daily basis.
In order to know the God of the Word, you have to get in the Word of God! There is no way around it, believers have to study their Bible. There is a lot I could say right now, my friend, about this subject. I could turn this into a really long study by elaborating on the importance and necessity of Bible study in the believer’s life! However, I am just going to say again… It is incredibly important to get in the Word so you can actually know God and know His will! (Also, PLEASE read Psalm 119 this week!)
If you will remember, at the start of our story, I said that in order to be as well-trained as the dog I watched, you had to spend a lot of time with your Master, learning from Him, and listening to Him. We have to do the same, my friend. It is the only way to be ready to serve Him in these dark days. We have to spend time with Him, learning from Him and listening to Him. This is how we will get to know Him better and train ourselves to hear and recognize the slightest command.
If you wish to know your Master, you must spend time with Him. The only way to truly get to know someone is to spend time with them. It is vital that we as believers spend time with our Lord so that we can get to know Him better and learn from Him. (In case you have noticed, there is an important word here… time.) What are we choosing to do with our time? How much of it are we devoting to getting to know Him better? How much of our time are we using to honor Him?
You cannot truly serve someone that you do not know. You cannot serve without being trained on how to do so. Jobs across the country spend countless dollars training their employees so that they can do the jobs they have hired them to do and often, offer further training so that they can do it even better than before. If we want to better serve our Master, we too need to get all the training we can. We need to intentionally do all we can to learn from Him how to better serve Him.
Beloved, I have sat for some time watching the cursor flash as I tried to think of what words I could use to express to you the importance and weight of the subject we have covered. Time is short, shorter than it has ever been, and the days are darker than I have ever seen. I am constantly grieved by news I see on a daily basis. Now more than ever, this world needs believers ready to stand on Truth and serve the One who is the Truth (John 14:6).
Dear heart, we desperately need to determine that we will be the ones willing to fix our eyes on Him, hide His Word in our hearts, and do all we can to serve Him wholeheartedly. I believe He is looking for servants willing to invest in knowing Him so well that they respond to the slightest command so that He can use them to be a light in an ever-darkening world. My friend, are you willing to be one? Are you willing to let Him teach and train you to serve Him better?
I hope so because your family and your friends sure need the light that you could share with them. They desperately need to see Jesus in you like never before. Beloved, don’t be intimidated, He will help you if you are willing. He will help you to do all that He calls you to do. It will not be something you can do on your own, but it will be something He will help you to do. God is always willing to work in and through those who are willing to be His vessels. My friend, I hope you will decide to be one.
Please read: Psalm 119; Romans 12:1-2
Katrina Douglas
