It Really Matters
"Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle."
- Exodus 33:11
As a boy, I helped my father do janitorial work at a local business. After more than fifty years, I still remember a little note posted on one of the desks there that read, “If you never do any more than what you are paid for, you will never get paid for any more than what you do.” Although it is not Scripture, it is a principle which has always stuck in my mind.
This past year, one of my nephews was employed by an electrical contractor to serve as an apprentice. During his first weeks, he was assigned to be in the shop, keeping supplies available for the journeymen. Sometimes there was not much work do to, but he did not spend that time idly. If he saw shelves and racks that needed to be tidied up—a task not required of him—he would clean them of his own volition. When I spoke to his employer recently, he was amazed at a young person having such initiative to move ahead on his own.
In the context of our focus verse, Moses had pitched the Tabernacle outside of the camp because God would not descend in the midst of the stiff-necked Israelites. This meant that those who wanted to seek the Lord had to go outside the camp to do so. When God came into the Tabernacle to speak to Moses, all of the seekers left to worship from their own tents—except Joshua, who “departed not out of the tabernacle.”
There is something special about this statement. Joshua was not required to stay at the Tabernacle; he could have gone to his own tent like the rest of the people. In fact, it probably would have been easier to just go home. Instead, he chose to stay in the Tabernacle of the Lord.
Today, God is looking for those who will make a choice to do a little more than what is required, whether it be at home, at work, at church, or wherever else they may be serving the Lord. Such people are the leaders of tomorrow. They know the secret of the Lord, and the devils tremble when they pray because their prayers move the hand of God. They are the ones who are willing to remain in prayer and spend time before an open Bible, laying up a good foundation for the time to come.
All of God’s children are assured a home in Heaven, but there is a special blessing for those who choose to do a little more. What can you do today to “go the extra mile” for God?
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