This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
(Matthew 25:14-30 TPT)
14 “Again, heaven’s kingdom is like a wealthy man who went on a long journey and summoned all his trusted servants and assigned his financial management over to them. 15 Before he left on his journey, he entrusted a bag of five thousand gold coins to one of his servants, to another a bag of two thousand gold coins, and to the third a bag of one thousand gold coins, each according to his ability to manage.
16 “The one entrusted with five thousand gold coins immediately went out and traded with the money, and he doubled his investment. 17 In the same way, the one who was entrusted with two thousand gold coins traded with the sum and likewise doubled his investment. 18 But the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
19 “After much time had passed, the master returned to settle accounts with his servants. 20 The one who was entrusted with five thousand gold coins came and brought ten thousand, saying, ‘See, I have doubled your money.’
21 “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you have been a faithful steward to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” ‘
22 “Then the one who had been entrusted with two thousand gold coins came in and said, ‘See, my master, I have doubled what you have entrusted to me.’
23 “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you were faithful to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” ‘
24 “Then the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins came to his master and said, ‘Look, sir. I know that you are a hard man to please and you’re a shrewd and ruthless businessman who grows rich on the backs of others. 25 I was afraid of you, so I went and hid your money and buried it in the ground. But here it is–take it, it’s yours.’
26 “But his master said to him, ‘You’re an untrustworthy and lazy servant! If you knew I was a shrewd and ruthless business man who always makes a profit, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? 27 Then I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. 28 But because you were unfaithful, I will take the one thousand gold coins and give them to the one who has ten thousand. 29 For the one who has will be given more, until he overflows with abundance. And the one with hardly anything, even what little he has will be taken from him.’
30 “Then the master said to his other servants, ‘Now, throw that good-for-nothing servant far away from me into the outer darkness, where there will be great misery and anguish!’ “
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. You have a different perspective when you realize you are a steward, not the owner.
Yesterday, I made the point that God is the owner of everything. I said, “In the parable of the talents, the money belonged to the owner, and the servants belonged to the owner. Everything belonged to him.”
— When you realize that God owns everything, your perspective on life changes.
— Understanding that God owns everything, including your life, relieves you of unnecessary stress.
— You can consult Him on any issue because He owns all the resources. He can guide you on what to do, how to address issues, and what He wants to be done.
I will illustrate this with a personal example involving my son, who is currently in college.
Recently, his phone was damaged, making communication difficult. When we finally got in touch, he explained that his phone had water damage and a broken screen. I instructed him to go to the T-Mobile store. Instead, he went to a repair shop and began discussing the costs of fixing the phone, replacing the screen, or even getting a new phone. He called me, sounding flustered, concerned about the costs involved.
At that moment, I had to remind him of a few things. I said, “Hold on, son. That phone isn’t even yours; it’s mine. The account is in my name. You’re my son, and all you need to do is go to the T-Mobile store so we can get this sorted out.” The T-mobile store was too far for him to walk, and his phone was not working, so he could not call an Uber. No problem, I am his Dad, so I called an Uber for him. The Uber picked him up and took him to the T-Mobile store. Once there, I spoke to the representatives, and thanks to our insurance, a new phone is on its way.
Here’s the point I want to make:
— My son was overwhelmed with information about pricing, repair costs, replacement costs, etc., without realizing that he wasn’t the owner—I am.
— Once he spoke to the owner, everything was taken care of according to my plan (the owner’s plan), not his.
— I will issue him a new phone, but I will still be the owner, and he will be the steward or manager of the phone.
This principle applies to all aspects of life. We often stress out over situations without remembering that God is the owner of everything. We should go to God and ask Him what He wants to do in any given situation. He knows the plans, the alternatives, the resources, and even things we can’t possibly know. So, let’s stop freaking out and consult God, the true owner of all things.
Here are two additional benefits of going to God:
(a) He knows the end from the beginning, so He knows the situation you would find yourself in before you put yourself there. Your situation, no matter how big you think it is, is not a surprise to God.
(b) God already made provisions for your situation. Just like in the situation with my son, I already had insurance in case anything like this ever happened. But in God’s case, He does not have “general insurance,” God has specific plans in place. He already made provisions to address the situation He knew you would be in well before you found yourself there.
Now, if you don’t understand this, it is so easy to get overwhelmed, like my son did. You can find yourself in a situation (even one that you put yourself in) where you feel overwhelmed, overpowered, un or underprepared, and overall confused. If you see yourself as the owner and not the steward, you will think that you need to figure this all out by yourself. The good news is that you don’t. God is the owner. He has signed up to take responsibility for you just as long as you submit to Him.
Now, if you don’t, God will sit back and watch. He will allow whatever you allow. He will permit whatever you permit, when choose to live life on your own terms, making your own decisions, and living with the consequences. However, if you ever die to self and yield to Him, going to God with this attitude, “Father, I know You love me, I know You already knew this would happen, and I know You already have plans. What do you want me to do?” He will lead, guide, and direct you out of your problem, EVEN IF you were the one who created it. That’s love! That’s grace! And that is how our God, who will never leave us or forsake us, deals with us when we choose to go to Him for everything because He is the owner, and we are merely the stewards!
As a father, I have plans in place to help my son with situations like these. How much more does our Heavenly Father have plans in place for you? But you will never know what He planned to do in situations like yours if you don’t call upon His name!
2. If you are a good steward, God gives you more.
This is a point I wanted to make yesterday, but I was led to leave it for today.
It is from the parable of the talents, and it deals with the principle of divine multiplication: “If you are a good steward, God gives you more.” This principle is not just about financial or material blessings; it’s a holistic approach to life that includes spiritual growth, purpose alignment, and Kingdom advancement.
— The parable teaches us to be faithful over the little God has blessed us to manage at the stage we are at currently. Being faithful over the little will lead to being promoted (or advanced) to becoming a ruler over much. This is how God promotes (or advances) His people in His Kingdom.
(a) God will not give you charge over something that He knows you are not capable (at the moment) of handling.
— God seeks to develop us through a system of tests, trials, and experiences so we can handle the increase He wants to give us.
— God gives us the grace to manage what He entrusts to us. This grace is sufficient for us to handle our responsibilities effectively. But we must mature to the point where we are even capable of embracing this grace.
— The way God works is that we must be developed to handle what He planned to give us BEFORE He releases it. In other words, you must be processed to be able to handle the weight of the anointing associated with the assignment.
— The right thing, at the wrong time, becomes the wrong thing.
— The right blessing, before we can handle it, becomes a burden.
— God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our strengths, weaknesses, and what we are capable of handling.
— Being a good steward of the little things is a test for greater responsibilities.
— Being faithful in little leads to being entrusted with more, as seen in the parable of the talents.
— In short, God will not give us more than we can handle.
(b) If we prove ourselves to be faithful over little, God will increase us and give us charge over much.
— Good stewardship increases our capacity to handle more, both spiritually and materially.
— Good stewardship can open doors of opportunity that no man can shut.
— Good stewardship positions us for divine elevation and new levels of responsibility.
— Being a good steward allows us to operate under a greater measure of grace,
enabling us to handle more.
— Good stewardship is a form of worship, acknowledging that everything we have is from God and for His glory.
— The more we are entrusted with, the more we have the opportunity to prove our faithfulness, and we can, therefore, glorify God on a greater level.
— When we are good stewards, we become conduits of blessings, not just for ourselves but also for others, thereby expanding God’s Kingdom on Earth.
— Good stewardship is not a one-time act but a lifestyle that requires consistency, diligence, and a heart aligned with God’s will. Stewardship is a lifestyle.
— The rewards for good stewardship are not just earthly; they have eternal significance, storing up treasures in heaven.
— When we are good stewards, we are essentially partnering with God in His work, making us co-laborers in the advancement of His Kingdom.
— God wants us to affect (with effects and influence) the people and the systems of this world. To make this happen, God favors us to walk in positions of authority and influence. When we prove to God that we can handle one level of authority and influence, He can trust us with a greater level. When we maximize that level, God can trust us with a greater level. This process keeps repeating itself. Why? Because the higher you go, the more Godly influence you will have in this world. God is trying to influence and impact the people and systems of this world, and He wants to do it in/with/through you. This is why you cannot be stagnant. As soon as you prove to God that you can handle where you are, He is ready to take you HIGHER. The HIGHER you go, the HIGHER His Kingdom goes from a position of authority and influence. So stop fighting the increase and advancement. God wants to use you to CHANGE THE WORLD!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
You are the owner of all things, including my life.
I am a steward, not an owner. This realization changes my perspective on life and relieves me of unnecessary stress.
I consult with You on all issues because You own all the resources. You guide me on what to do, how to address issues, and what You want to be done.
My situation, no matter how big I think it is, is not a surprise to You.
I believe that You have specific plans in place for me. You have already made provisions to address any situation I find myself in.
I will not be overwhelmed or confused. I submit to You, Father, knowing that You will lead, guide, and direct me out of any problem, even if I was the one who created it.
I am a conduit of blessings, not just for myself but also for others, thereby expanding Your Kingdom on Earth.
I am storing up treasures in heaven through my good stewardship.
I am Your co-laborer in the advancement of Your Kingdom. I am ready to affect people and systems in this world for Your glory.
The HIGHER I go, the HIGHER Your Kingdom goes. You use me to CHANGE THE WORLD!
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
