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. The master sees untapped potential in you.
— The master distributed talents based on what he saw in each servant, much like how God gives us gifts and opportunities.
— He saw untapped potential in them that they couldn’t initially see in themselves.
— God doesn’t make mistakes; He knows exactly what He’s doing when He places certain gifts inside of you.
— The master’s distribution wasn’t random; it was a divine setup for divine success.
— He saw untapped potential in them that they couldn’t initially see in themselves.
— God doesn’t consult your past to determine your future.
— He sees what you can become, not just what you have been.
— The master knows that your history is not your destiny.
— God speaks to your TO BE stage from your RIGHT NOW stage!
— Understanding who you are in Christ is key to unlocking your potential.
— Your untapped potential is a treasure waiting to be discovered.
2. The joy of realized potential.
— The two servants who doubled their talents were thrilled. This is the joy of stewardship.
— They finally saw in themselves what the master had always seen.
— Realizing your potential is like a light bulb moment where you finally understand who you are in Christ Jesus!
— I do a great deal of teaching on the power of believing what God believes about you. The day you believe what God believes about you is the day you will fully OPEN your heart to God’s grace and goodness.
— The joy of realized potential is contagious. When you walk in your purpose and realize your potential, it inspires others to do the same.
— Your testimony becomes a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change in the lives of those around you.
3. The master experienced JOY in seeing the servants realize their potential.
— The master’s joy was not just about the increase of talents but also about the personal growth and self-belief the servants exhibited.
— The master was excited because the servants had come to believe in themselves.
— I have made this point before, but it is worth repeating: God takes JOY in our success!
— Our success is a testament to His goodness and a reason for Him to rejoice.
— Our God loves it when we become the men/women He destined us to be!
— When we align with God’s plan, it not only brings us joy but also brings God immense satisfaction.
— Understanding that God takes joy in our success motivates us to strive for even greater things.
4. The unfaithful steward had the wrong mentality.
— The unfaithful steward thought the master was exploiting him.
— The unfaithful steward thought the master was trying to get rich off of him (even though he was already rich).
— The unfaithful steward was focused on the wrong thing.
— When you are focused on the wrong things, you miss out on the opportunity God has placed before you.
— The devil is a master of deception. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived into seeing God as anything other than a good Father who wants to bless you, simply because He is good!
5. The danger of blaming God.
Have you ever met someone who constantly blames God for what happens in their life? I have. Those who blame God will not progress spiritually for many reasons:
— They are looking at God in the wrong light.
— They refuse to take accountability or responsibility for their actions.
— They see God as the source of all their problems. This negative outlook prevents them from seizing the opportunities God places before them.
— They are so blinded that they see opportunities as problems and tests as punishment.
— With this attitude, not only will they not go far in their relationship with God, but they will fail to get far in life.
— Blaming God is often an escape mechanism to avoid facing one’s own shortcomings or mistakes.
— This lack of accountability stunts spiritual growth and keeps people in a cycle of defeat.
— When you blame God, you’re essentially saying you know better than Him, which is a form of pride. This pride keeps you from being humble and teachable, qualities necessary for spiritual growth.
— God gave us free will, and with that comes the responsibility to make wise choices. He will allow whatever we allow. God will permit whatever we permit, and that includes failure!
— Mature believers understand that trials are a part of life and that God can use them for our good.
6. There are a few foundational traits that God is looking for that the unfaithful steward lacked.
— God is looking for faith. He wants you to look at life from His point of view. He wants the UNSEEN realm to be more real to you than the SEEN.
— God is looking for you to be faithful. This means He expects you to pass tests, develop patience, and remain steadfast in your faith despite challenges.
— God is looking for you to open your heart to His love and grace. It is the love of God that empowers your faith and aligns you with His purpose.
— God is looking for you to make the most of every opportunity He places before you. You only get one life, and God is looking for you to make the most of the short time He has given you on this planet.
— The unfaithful steward lacked all of these qualities. His heart was not filled with God’s love. He was deceived about the master’s intentions. He procrastinated instead of working the money to multiply it. He even accused his master of things that were far from the master’s heart.
— In order to become the man/woman you are destined to be, you must learn God’s system (His way of doing things) and then work it. God’s system works, but you must work the system.
7. You have potential in you that is untapped, and God wants to get it out of you.
— God sees things in you that you do not see in yourself.
— God often ministers to you (by His Spirit, through His Word, in dreams while you are sleeping, in open visions while you are awake, and through other people) about the potential He placed in you. He does this because He wants you to believe what He believes about you.
— In addition to ministering to you about your potential, God gives you real-life assignments that are designed for you to realize what He placed in you. These opportunities often come clothed in things that LOOK LIKE WORK!
— If you are lazy, you will miss the opportunity because IT LOOKS LIKE WORK and you were too lazy to put in the work.
— If you procrastinate, you may miss the opportunity because God’s promises have a TIMING COMPONENT to them. You may miss your season if you procrastinate too long.
— But if you are willing to put in the work (empowered by God’s grace), when God tells you to do so (so you don’t miss HIs timing), you will discover things about yourself that you never knew you had.
— You will operate at levels you never thought you could.
— You will accomplish more than you ever dreamed or imagined.
— You will experience God on a level that you never have before because you will be relying on Him and His grace to do things that only He can.
— The two faithful stewards were blown away at what they were able to accomplish. They did what the master knew they could, but they had to be willing to put in the work!
— To walk with God, you must be willing to put in the work. You are not working FOR grace. You are working BY grace.
— Working BY grace means you will do things you never imagined you could because you won’t be the one doing it. It will be the Father, living in you, giving you the words, and performing the work. However, none of this will happen if you are like the unfaithful steward who was lazy and had the wrong idea about the master.
In closing, you have tremendous potential IN you. It is potential that God placed IN you before the world began. It’s called your DESTINY! It is your CALLING! Guess what? Your CALLING is CALLING you! To answer the call, you must be willing to do things that LOOK LIKE WORK! Are you? If you are willing to put in the work, you will tap into grace you never knew you had! Greater is coming for you!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
You see untapped potential in me.
You have distributed gifts and opportunities in my life based on Your divine wisdom.
I acknowledge that Your plans for me are perfect, and You make no mistakes.
You don’t consult my past to determine my future; You see what I can become. I declare that my history is not my destiny.
My CALLING is CALLING me, and I will respond in faith, without a doubt, without wavering!
I will experience the joy of realizing my potential.
I believe what you believe about me!
You take joy in my success. My success on this planet is a testament to Your goodness, and I strive to bring You immense satisfaction.
I am motivated to achieve greater things, knowing that it brings You joy when I maximize the potential You placed in me!
So, I am willing to put in the work, empowered by Your grace, to realize the untapped potential within me.
I will not miss my season of blessings due to procrastination or laziness.
I will operate at levels I never thought possible, relying on You and Your grace for the unimaginable.
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!
