DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 5 to 6:13; Psalms 35-36; Acts 2:1-21
Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. 1 Peter 5:2c
This is the second of three pairs of qualifications that marks every genuine shepherd. He shouldn’t succumb to outward pressure, but should have an inward desire to serve. Nor should he be eager for earnings, but eager for serving. And he shouldn’t lord it over God’s people, he should lead them forward. The term “ready mind” actually is the precise wording for “ruleth with diligence” (Romans 12:8). When a local flock is led by men who are not like the thief, the hireling, and the wolf, they are in good hands! This “ready-minded” shepherd is forward in spirit—literally, one who is “standing before.” May we all be ready to lead by being ready to serve. —Norman Craig Funston
Brother, sister, let me serve you, let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace, to let you be my servant too. —R. Gillard