1-29-21 Today in the Word

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | BEGIN WITH THE END When you’re enduring a long trip, it can help to keep your final destination in mind. Just the thought of a relaxing view or a delicious meal can help you endure the journey. As Jesus taught His disciples about the end times, He told them a parable. Three servants were entrusted to care for their master’s wealth while he was away. The word entrusted does not mean they should simply hold it and keep it safe. Rather, they were to manage their master’s wealth. They should help nurture it so it could grow. Jesus said that as soon as the master departed, two of the servants went right to work and invested their master’s wealth. Knowing he would be returning, they began with that end in mind. After he returned, they showed their master how they had multiplied his wealth. He was pleased and responded, “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!” (vv. 21, 23). However, the remaining servant did nothing with his master’s wealth. He accused the master of being a cut-throat man and wanted to do nothing except keeping the treasure safe. Failing to utilize the opportunity given him, he earned a rebuke and was cast out of the inner circle. As you look at the year ahead, you will be given many opportunities. The question is, what are you going to do with what God gives you? How will you leverage each opportunity for His glory? At some point, Jesus will return. He will come back to settle accounts and to see what we did with all the opportunities we were given. Will you be ready? >> It helps to begin with our end destination in mind—our heavenly future! Ask yourself, how will living with eternity in mind change what I choose to spend time on today? How will it affect my life? What opportunities should I spend the most time on? PRAY WITH US Eternity is not an abstraction: it is a reality that will endure when our present life is no more. Father, let the promise of eternity with you guide our every decision.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t...
Read more

9-25-23 The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas

The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are at the time of the year when we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad’s birthday. And my Dad was well-loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve. I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling, and the wind and snow were whipping across the barny...
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th...
Read more