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MORNING MEDITATION
Glean the Word:
Matthew 25:14-30
Glimpse of Glory: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them." (v. 14, NKJV)
The Lord appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days to instruct, encourage and embolden them for the work of the kingdom He was entrusting to their hands. The call of the Christian life is a call to work; and not just any work, but the highest and holiest work. This is a sacred trust committed to all God's servants. The disciples were not being left to mourn and return to their regular day jobs; on the contrary, Jesus gave them a special work to do. When Jesus ascended to heaven, He left His church with all that was necessary to carry on in His absence, and with the assurance He would return to check up on how we are doing. "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them" (v. 19).
To each individual believer He gives a special work according to our ability. Everyone is entrusted with at least one gift to use for the benefit of the body. "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: "When He ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men" (Ephesians 4:7-8). Our duty is to learn the trade we have been given by God and to employ it immediately, so we do not waste any of the precious time that we have been given by being idle and unproductive. We have all received a great honor to be entrusted as stewards of the kingdom of God. "For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him" (Matthew 25:29). None of us can afford to lament the distribution of the gifts or question what we have received. We must humbly accept what we have been given from the Sovereign hand of the Lord, and take care to manage our gift(s) wisely so we can bring glory to His name and receive our reward. If we are faithful with the little things, He will be sure to give us more. "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!" (Matthew 25:21, 23). May we pray fervently for all of God's servants to wake up from their slumber and return to the sacred work of the kingdom, and not neglect the gifts we have been given, but fan them into flame so we will have all the workers necessary to bring in the harvest.
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