SCRIPTURE UNION DISCOVERY DEVOTIONAL (USA)
Scripture Union Discovery 24th March 2023, Friday Devotional Message
TOPIC: Great Things for God
OPENING PRAYER
Mighty God, pierce this moment with your presence, pry open every corner of my life to you, pervade my being with your grace.
Read MATTHEW 25:14-30
The Parable of the Bags of Gold
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,[a] 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.’
Footnotes
Matthew 25:15 Greek five talents … two talents … one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Count your blessings! Thank God for the ways in which he has blessed you.
This is a parable we may hear often. It’s a simple story about making good use of what you have been given. What we perhaps don’t hear so often is the context: it is very much part of this section on Jesus’ second coming. The word ‘again’ in verse 14 clearly links this story to what comes before (a different version might use ‘for’ or something similar). Jesus is reiterating here the two main points from our previous passages: we cannot know when he will return, and we should live as if it might be today.
I think this perspective slightly alters our understanding. It’s not only that we are to use our resources and our abilities for God; rather, all that we have remains in his ownership and has simply been entrusted to our care for a time. One day we will be asked to give him an account of what we have done (v 19) with his possessions.
In his call to world missions in 1792, William Carey said we should expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. We’re not expected to do things for God without first receiving from him. As God entrusts things into our hands, we are to set to work with them (v 27). If we are faithful in using what God gives us, we will be given increasing responsibility (v 29).
Apply
What has God entrusted you with? How are you investing those things?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, in your mercy strip me of the illusions I have about myself. Renew me in your image and fit me for your service.
Thank you for reading Scripture Union Discovery 24th March 2023, Friday Message
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