A Bond Servants Life

Exodus 21:6 King James Version (KJV)

Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

In the earlier days and in some places today servants/slaves exist(ed). In the Old Testament the Jewish law gave guidelines as to ownership of slaves especially Jewish born slaves that were sold into slavery due to debts or for other reasons. Periodically the law required that the Jewish born slaves were to be set free, so that Gods people were not forced into slavery indefinitely. Within that law there was an exception that allowed an individual to willingly and permanently bond himself as a slave to his master for ever. Once the decision was made he would be taken to the masters’ door post and an awl would be driven through his ear into the door post and then he would tear his ear from the awl, permanently disfiguring his ear and marking him a slave for life.

It would seem odd that one would give up their life in the service of another. But if you consider the options of a poor uneducated man emerging into society with no network, money or opportunity, his options are few. And within a very short period of time he and his family would be begging on the streets. If his old master was gentle and kind, the life he had as a slave provided a far safer environment for his family and he would want for nothing as it would relate to his needs.

So it is with us! We are SO over matched in this life! The powers wielded by the unseen forces that wage war around us make us as though mere insects in their eyes. And the consequences of the mistakes we can make on our own without any external influence can destroy us. After a little more than a half century of living I have quit messing around and allowed my ear to be pinned to heavens door post. It was not a decision made from a joyous acceptance as an eternal slave… but one made from desperation. I look behind me at the legacy I am leaving and the vast wasteland that it is. It is empty and devoid of any real meaning or accomplishment when compared to eternity. And I now know just how overmatched I am. My only hope was that God would still allow me to return as His slave and live under His protection and for His purpose. There is nothing of value in this world outside of God. And until you can actually hand your entire life (past, present and future) over, with no agenda but His, you will never know the peace and security that comes from a life spent under His control. Absolutely NOTHING can happen to you that He has not blessed if you are following the plan He has for you. And there is no price you will pay that will compensate Him for the life He is offering. The crazy part is that He does not leave you as a slave. But literally He adopts you as His own; He becomes your true Father and you become heir to all that He is.

It is the most carefree existence imaginable. We all have another choice to make after placing our faith in Jesus for salvation. You can be the one spoken of in the Bible that presents to God a life filled with wood, hay and stubble to be burned up, arriving at heavens gate with your pants on fire… Or you choose to live as His heir, building His kingdom here with the precious metals and jewels that will last into eternity. You can choose to accept his offer of salvation and never even see the wonderful life that he wants to live with you. You can leave this world and step into the next never experiencing the freedom and joy He can give you while you still live here. If you choose to turn over to Him your every hope and dream and live completely for Him… pursuing Him above everything else in your life. Then He will personally take care of the “every things” in life leaving you without a care in the world. That is why Jesus could say; “do not worry about your life!” Because if you’re His then He has got it handled, and you have NOTHING to worry about.

Whatever you hope to build on your own will be destroyed when God rolls up the heavens and starts over again. The only thing you will take with you is that which you build here for Him. And the only true peace you will experience on this earth is only what He can give you.

Safe, sound and secure!