Welcome back to another Faithful Friday encouragement: “God’s Merciful Second Chance.
This week’s encouragement doesn’t come without complete honesty. God gave opportunities of obedience this week. I often would get distracted by things that shouldn’t have had priority. By the time, I would start to think about doing what I was prompted to do, it was too late in the day. All that time wasted.
You see I could excuse the behavior, “Oh, that’s not a big deal. After all, it is just sweeping and mopping the floor in the laundry room right? It can wait another day.”
But it’s wasn’t the task that was the issue, it was the disobedience to the prompting by the Lord to do this seemingly simple task. What I took for granted was not only the time given, but that entitled attitude as if God was automatically going to give me breath to do it, the next day. I sit and type it all the time, “Tomorrow is never a guarantee or promise.”
All I had guaranteed was each breath I took at each moment. Moment by moment dependence that God gives that next breath. He doesn’t have to. The next day, there was something heavy on my heart to share. I started to type it out and almost had it finished when my phone automatically glitched and closed the app . I lost all that I had typed. In that moment, I was willing to obey typing something that I thought had more importance than the last thing the Lord told me, “Clean the floor.”
It’s interesting how we tend to rank priorities at times. We think that small things are so insignificant or less important. But Jesus put an emphasis on the small things, when He gave this parable :
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them. 15 To one he gave five talents,‡to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two. 18 But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them. 20 He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’
21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
22 “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’
23 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter. 25 I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. 27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. 28 Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away. 30 Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Why should He entrust us with the Kingdom work, if we do not listen to Him in our daily routines?
You know, I finally cleaned my laundry room floor yesterday. As I was cleaning, I found myself with a prayer coming to mind, about let no sickness enter our home. In my husband’s work , there is no telling what traces of dirt and other germs get brought into our home, when something is left unclean for days.
If there is something the Lord is prompting you to do, even if it seems small, do it. God doesn’t waste His Breath on meaningless matters. He speaks for a reason and with purpose. If you have breath today , ask the Lord for another opportunity to go and do the task asked of you. Repent and obey . Let this parable be an encouragement to you today:
Matthew 21:23-32
23 When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.” 27 They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.”
He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. 30 He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.
Want to know what God’s Will is for your life? To the one who doesn’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Call is to repent and turn away from your sinful rebellion and humbly ask forgiveness. Following and obeying His commands would be the next step. To the Christ Follower, His Will is for you to share the Gospel with everyone who He puts in your path, so they have the opportunity to be added to God’s family in His Kingdom. Listen to Him for what He has on His agenda for you for the rest of your life, even in the smallest of matters. We never know if another opportunity to obey will be given.
*All scripture is from the World English Bible