A Matter of Trust
Opening Prayer
Lord, help me to be faithful and to understand that You are behind me, cheering me on when I take the risks of faith.
Read Matthew 25:14-30
[14] “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. [15] To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. [16] The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. [17] So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. [18] But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. [19] “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. [20] The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ [21] “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ [22] “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ [23] “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ [24] “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. [25] So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ [26] “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? [27] Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. [28] “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. [29] For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. [30] And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Are you faithfully using the gifts God has given you?We are all to be found somewhere in this parable. We may feel as if we’ve been entrusted with a great deal of gifts, power and influence, as the man with five bags of gold. We may feel like the man entrusted with comparatively little. Either way, God has entrusted us with the gift of life and various other gifts and resources. It’s up to us how we use them.The conclusion of this story may seem shocking. After all, the man who buries his talents is trying to preserve what he has been given (18,24,25). Yet in God’s eyes, burying the treasure he’s entrusted us with is the worst thing we could choose to do with it. God believes in us. He gives us gifts and resources, because he trusts us to try to put them to good use, to bless others and see the kingdom extend. To simply bury our treasure is to betray that trust. So whether the parable seems fair or not is irrelevant. The application for us is to work out what treasure God has entrusted to us, and consider how to put it to work for him. He believes and expects that we’ll use it well.
Apply
How could you practically put your talents and resources to work for God and for the benefit of others?
Closing prayer
Lord, You are generous in giving gifts and in encouraging us when we step out. Let us see You as You are.
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