Luke 19:26

"'Yes,' the king replied, 'and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.'"

 

Interestingly, another rendering of "do nothing" is "have nothing." It seems this servant thought that what he had been given was not enough to manage. You may think you "have nothing," but this parable suggests that everyone is given something. To dismiss "little" as "nothing" means losing—forever—what little you have. God does not hold us accountable for what we don't possess. He always uses what we do have … and that's always enough.

1 Kings 2:41–43

"Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, 'Didn't I make you swear by the LORD and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, "The sentence is fair; I will do as you say." Then why haven't you kept your oath to the LORD and obeyed my command?'"

Maybe, over time, Shimei thought that his agreement with King Solomon didn't really matter, for he disobeyed (in order to get his slaves back). But Solomon did not forget. He called Shimei to account, reminding him of the agreement that Shimei consented to and affirmed was fair. Here's a good reminder that, if we're a leader at work in the church or at home, we must hold people accountable and mete out the consequences.

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Have a Great Day!

Carol

 

'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.'

John 13:17

"'Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.'"

 

Blessing doesn't come from knowing; it comes from doing what we know. When God teaches you something, do you act on it right away? What do you know but are not doing? What resources might God be providing to help you do what you know?