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January 15

Lowly Service

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden — Luke 1:48

What a beautiful name by which to call one’s self! A handmaid is one who devotes herself to the service of another. A young girl is the handmaid of the Lord when she gives herself to Him, and then lives all her life just to please Him and serve Him. This does not always mean that she must give up her home and the comforts of life in her own country, and go away to a heathen land. Sometimes it may mean that. It did for Harriet Newell¹, and it has meant that for hundreds of other young Christian women along the years. But for most young girls it means to serve Christ and live for Him just in the ordinary life of every day.

There are a great many ways of serving Him. One is by always doing right. We are serving Him whenever we are listening for His voice and promptly following Him. He says, “if ye love me, keep my commandments.” Another way is by doing everything we can to make friends for Him, by getting other people to love and serve Him. A little girl is a handmaid of Christ when she is trying to get other little girls to come to the sabbath school. Yet another way is by doing every kindness we can to others in His name.

When Jesus was on the earth as a man, some women left their homes and went with Him, ministering to Him. It is probable that they made garments for Him, prepared food for His meals, and did every little personal kindness they could. That was a very sweet privilege. No doubt if He were here now many noble young girls and women would do the same. He is not here in human form; but He has told us that if we do these same kindnesses even to the least and lowliest of His friends who are in need, it is the same as if we did them to Himself. So it is not hard to be a handmaid of Christ.

1: B. Harriet Newell (1793-1812), wife of the Rev. Samuel Newell, American missionary to India, died in the mission field at the age of nineteen. Her enormously popular Memoirs of Mrs. Harriet Newell (New York: American Tract Society, 1813), went through five editions by 1815 and many more thereafter.


Daily Word of God - January 15

Public domain content taken from Come Ye Apart by J.R. Miller.


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