“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" Ephesians 4:11-12
In Bible days, there was a wonderful custom called gleaning. Gleaning was a practice implemented during the time of harvest when the laborers would bring in the fruitful yield of the season. The gleaning directive would instruct the workers to leave a portion of the harvest in the field so that the poor and travelers could take advantage of the crop. Most of the time, the recipients would not eat the field produce but would take it to the market to sell. This would give them much needed income for their families and travels. This was a wonderful way of helping to balance out the economic structure of their community.
God’s ministry has a gleaning quality to it. You cannot participate in God’s ministry without it leaving a blessing in your life. As we work for God, this potent ministry that He has given us makes a tremendous impact on the Kingdom of God.
The anointing that comes with this ministry is left on the life of the believer. So, not only is the Kingdom blessed, the vessel that carries the ministry is also blessed because it receives the residual anointing.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” Isaiah 10:27
One day I was reading the scripture concerning the work of the ministry when it occurred to me that there is an awesome benefit to being used by God in ministry. You cannot cover God’s Kingdom with your ministry gift and not affect your own circumstance! If I have power in God’s Kingdom, it starts with my personal life and in my house. As ministry works it way out of you, it conquers every ungodly thing it passes. If you are positioned right, great things will come to pass. Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18:
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
This is the gleaners’ reward of ministry. Taking on the work of ministry qualifies the believer for the full benefit package—medical, household and even life. How about coverage for your children? Now, how much would you pay?
“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:39
An excerpt from “The Ministry in You” by Lyle Dukes, pgs. 71–73
