Devotion for 19 February - What do you do for a living? - Part 4

A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin for today as we continue a multi-sermon series on vocation. Today’s message focuses on stewardship as part of a Christian’s vocation.

Scripture Reading- Matthew 25:14-30 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁴ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 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! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Devotion: What do you do for a living? - Part 4.

The previous three weeks we talked about how a vocation is more about who you are than what you do. We said that God loves all vocations [if they are not illegal, immoral, or unethical] because they in some way serve our fellow man. Today’s Gospel text is the Parable of the Talents. In ancient times, a talent was the equivalent of 6000 denarii (one day’s wage) or about 20 year’s wages—a huge sum! Think of the magnitude of the resources for which the servants are responsible. At first glance this looks like a parable about money or resource management. Under closer examination though, it is really about kingdom management. God, like the master, entrusts his resources to His people and expects them to be good stewards of it. Those who faithfully work for the kingdom and enhance it will both be commended and rewarded. Those who do not use their gifts and kingdom resources will be condemned and separated from the very presence of God. Are you missing out on an opportunity to be a good steward of the resources God provided you? I can think of some missed chances in my life where I could have been more ready and willing to build up His Kingdom. Maybe you have as well. Can you identify an opportunity this week to avoid “burying” your resources and find a way to create Kingdom growth through your good stewardship?

We pray: “Lord, help me recognize and seize the opportunity to grow Your Kingdom. Amen”