PARABLES - WEEK ONE - DAY TWO
Hello and welcome to your Daily Devos following our Prophet messages at 29:11! Take some time today to read through the scriptures provided, meditate on the lessons learned that are applicable for all of us from this week and journal your prayers. Have an amazing week 29:11 Church!
THEME SCRIPTURE:
16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant!
— Matthew 25:16-26 ESV
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
- Psalm 24:1-2 NIV
REFLECTION:
As a little kid I was in love with sweets. I loved candy. I loved soda. I loved anything that was packed full of sugar. Of course my mom knew this as well, so she did her best to ensure that my sugar intake was regulated. Her totalitarian rule on my childhood sugar intake was always a source of contention between her and little me.
One day, we were at a gas station and I wanted a candy bar, and the best part was, I had allowance money left to spend on it. Of course being a perfect son, I asked my mother first if she would buy me the candy bar. She said no.
Well guess what mother, it’s my money and I’ll do what I want with it. So I snuck to the counter and I bought the candy anyway. I was elated. I was excited. I was going to munch down this delicious bar of chocolate so fast that no one would even know. That was until my mother caught me five minutes later. I got in trouble and she made me throw away the candy bar. I was upset because I had used my OWN money to buy the candy bar. She was upset because I disobeyed her. Don’t worry though, we made up eventually. I love my mother.
I’m life, especially as an adult now, it is very easy to feel the same way about my money and resources as I did back then. I made the money, I bought the resource, so I am going to use it how I please. But as Christians, we are called to higher standards than that.
You see, God has given us everything we have ever gained in this life. Whether it be a job that gives you income, the the ability to go to school and learn. It may be friends and family that have helped you out in life. It may be that random check that you don’t know where it came from. So when we feel like all of our money and resources is our own to do with as we please, we must remember the truth. All we have on this earth comes from God. And with that first truth comes with a second truth.
We are stewards and managers, not owners. As stewards and managers, we get to follow Gods plan and will for our money and resources, and not our own. This is obedience. This is following Gods way. And the great thing about this opportunity is that as we follow Gods plan and his way, we will gain so much more than if we followed our own way.
I am glad my mom stopped me from eating all that candy. If I had stewarded my allowance my way, I would have ended up throwing up all that I had spent it on.
THOUGHTS TO PONDER:
Take some time today to consider the implications of stewardship. Ask God to help you see him as the true owner of your resources. How can you better manage that which God has given you today? Have you been mismanaging your money and resources? If so, pray and ask God how you can move into his will and his plan for your life.
