Once a king instructed his servant to plant seeds in a field. The servant planted some of the seeds, and took the rest for his own usage. When the king checked the field at harvest time, he asked the servant why some of the field had not been planted. The servant admitted that he confiscated some of the seeds. The king ordered his servant to pay the value of the wheat that would have grown, had the servant planted these seeds. The end of the matter is that instead of gaining from stealing the seeds, the servant suffered a great financial loss and much personal hardship.
Lesson: The king expected the servant to faithfully serve him, even though the king did not show him any special favor. HaShem continuously showers his kindness upon us - granting us our lives, our holy soul, and the eternal Torah. How much more is it appropriate for us to faithfully serve HaShem and fully dedicate all of our energies to please Him.
Visualization: Envision King David reflecting on the great and unabated kindness of HaShem. Hear him play a sweet melody on his harp and sing a joyous song of thanks and praise to HaShem. See him dedicate his heart to serve HaShem with zeal, faithfulness, and love.
(Based on The Duties of the Heart, The Gate of Reflection, 3:14)
