{"id":639,"date":"2009-01-04T03:01:24","date_gmt":"2009-01-04T03:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/01\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-36.html"},"modified":"2009-01-04T03:01:24","modified_gmt":"2009-01-04T03:01:24","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-36","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/01\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-36.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Serve the Lord <\/strong><\/p>\n

READ Psalm 2:1-12<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Serve the LORD with reverent fear,
\nand rejoice with trembling.<\/p>\n

Psalm 2:11<\/a><\/p>\n

Introducing a Change in Weekend Daily Reflections:
\n<\/strong>
\nStarting yesterday, I began to try something new in my Daily Reflections. During the week, I\u2019ll continue to work passage by passage through a book of the Bible. But on Saturday and Sunday, I\u2019ll base my reflections on a Psalm. This will allow for some thematic variation, while still taking us systematically through different biblical books. More importantly, it will allow us to dig deeply into the Psalms, the Spirit-inspired instruction book for prayer. As we work through the whole Psalter, two chapters each weekend, I pray that your relationship with God will become deeper, truer, and more vital.
\nReflection on Psalm 2<\/strong>
\nThough most of us are not kings or earthly rulers, nevertheless Psalm 2 speaks directly to us. It calls us to \u201cserve the Lord with reverent fear.\u201d We are to offer our whole life to God, not just the \u201creligious\u201d parts. We serve God by serving others at work, in our families, in our communities, as well as in our churches. Our service results from our reverent fear. We aren\u2019t afraid of God, serving to assuage his wrath. Rather, overwhelmed by God\u2019s majesty and mercy, we offer our whole lives to him as an act of continual worship.
\nSuch service is not burdensome, but joyful, because it is a response to God\u2019s grace and love. Yet, even in our rejoicing we tremble, aware that our loving Father is not some nice little god, but a consuming fire and the all-powerful creator of heaven and earth.
\nWhen we serve the Lord with our lives, we often discover a new joy in living. This joy comes from seeing God use us for his purposes, and from realizing that our lives really matter.
\nQUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>: In what ways do you serve the Lord? How do you hold together the fear of the Lord and the joy of the Lord? Are there ways you can grow in your service to God?
\nPRAYER<\/strong>: Lord, in some contexts I find it natural to serve you . . . when I\u2019m at church, or teaching your truth, or praying for someone in need. Yet, I must confess there are times when I just don\u2019t see my life as an offering for you. I have bought into the sacred\/secular divide, where service to you happens in church or mission work, but not in daily life. Forgive me, Lord. Help me to see my whole live as one continuous act of service to you.
\nAs I serve you, may I do so with joy, remembering all that you have done for me. May my servanthood be\u00a0an offering of gratitude to you, gratitude mixed with celebration.
\nIn my service and in my rejoicing, may I remember who you are, not only my Savior and friend, but also a holy God, a God whose power is beyond my comprehension, a God who deserves my full allegiance and worship. Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Serve the Lord READ Psalm 2:1-12 \u00a0Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Psalm 2:11 Introducing a Change in Weekend Daily Reflections: Starting yesterday, I began to try something new in my Daily Reflections. During the week, I\u2019ll continue to work passage by passage through a book of the Bible. But on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}