WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JUNE 27, 2022
TOPIC: USE WELL WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU
BY T.O. BANSO
“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29 New Living Translation).
In Matthew 13:10, the disciples of Jesus asked Him why He spoke to the multitudes in parables. That was immediately after He had spoken the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-9. He replied that it had been given to His disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to the multitudes, it had not been given (verse 11).Â
Jesus continued, “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matthew 13:12 New King James Version).
The Amplified Bible renders this scripture thus: “For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him.”
The disciples of Jesus had an opportunity of being close to Him and hearing the interpretation of the parables that He spoke to the multitudes. As Jesus said in Luke 12:48, everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required. He expected His disciples to use well the teachings they were hearing from Him.
He said to them in Mark 4:24-25, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (New King James version).
He said a similar thing in Luke 8:18 but instead of telling them to take heed what they heard, He said, “Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him” (New King James Version).
Take heed what you hear and take heed how you hear. It is not good that at the time believers ought to be teachers, they will need someone to teach them again the first principles of the oracles of God and need milk and not solid food (Hebrews 5:12).
What has God blessed you with? It could a spiritual gift, ability, relationship, or material blessing. Use it well. It’s not everybody who has what you have. Therefore, use well what you have. However, many people are often more concerned about what they lack than what they have. They don’t value and use them well. Nobody has everything and nobody will. Not even the wealthiest person on earth because there are things that money cannot buy.
The Apostle Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 4:7b, “And what do you have that you did not receive?” (New King James Version). Also, the Apostle James says in James 1:17 that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Whatever you have legitimately is from God and He wants you to use it well to His glory and for the good of humanity. Be a good steward of what God has blessed you with. When you use well what He has given you, He will give you more.
In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, the servant who was given one talent was the only one among the three who didn’t use well his talent. The others who were given five talents and two talents each invested them and gained five more talents and two more talents respectively. But the servant who was given one talent dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money.
The master of these servants praised each of the two servants, who gained more talents, for being a good and faithful servant. He said that they were faithful over a few things, and He would make them rulers over many things. He ushered them into the joy of their lord. This was because they used their talents well and gained more talents.
The story was different with the servant who went to bury his talent. When he was asked to give an account, he insulted his master and attacked his integrity. He said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours” (Matthew 25:24-25 new King James Version).
What an unfair accusation! Was he the only servant? Why didn’t the others say that? He proved right his master for giving him only one talent. If he had given him five or two talents that he gave the other servants, he wouldn’t have done better.
His master, however, gave him an appropriate answer and the right treatment. “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents” (Matthew 25:26-28 New King James Version).
This servant didn’t use well the opportunity he was given to invest and make a profit. And because of that, he lost the opportunity of being rewarded like the other servants. This parable was about the kingdom of heaven. While the other servants entered the kingdom of heaven, this unprofitable servant was cast into the outer darkness where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth (verse 30). Â
But Jesus said something important in verse 29. He said, “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (New King James Version). This may appear unfair but some translations bring out a clearer meaning. The New Living Translation says, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” Â
Did you see the reason to use well what you have? The unprofitable servant didn’t use well what he had, and it was collected back from him and given to the servant who had ten talents. That’s fair. When people don’t use well what they have, it shows they don’t value it. It would be right to collect it from them and give it to those who have proved that they will use it well because they have used well what they have already.
The Amplified Bible puts Matthew 25:29 this way: “For to everyone who has [and values his blessings and gifts from God, and has used them wisely], more will be given, and [he will be richly supplied so that] he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have [because he has ignored or disregarded his blessings and gifts from God], even what he does have will be taken away.” Â
Use well what God has blessed you with whether they are spiritual gifts, abilities, positions, opportunities, or other things. Don’t waste them; don’t lose them. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10 New King James Version).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I repent of any way that I have not used well what You have blessed me with. Holy Spirit, help me to use well henceforth what God has given me. I shall be a good steward of the manifold grace of God in Jesus’ name. I pray that all those who have buried their talents will begin to use them well, knowing that they will give account to God.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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