Introduction

Some mornings it feels like heaven has hung a “Help Wanted” sign over your heart. You sense it when you tuck in a child, when you clock in at work, when you linger over the needs of a neighbor. The King of the cosmos has placed something in your hands—time, talents, and treasures—and whispered, “I trust you with this.” Isn’t that stunning? Not a careless trust. A careful, personal, purposeful trust. He knows your name, your pace, your past, and your potential. He knows the weight you can carry and the wonder you can create. He knows what He has woven into you—skill and story, scars and strength—and He intends to set it all to music for His glory and for the good of others.

Maybe you have felt the pinch of comparison or the paralysis of fear. Maybe you wonder, “Is what I have enough? Is who I am enough?” Listen, friend: in the hands of God, little loaves feed large crowds, small stones bring down tall giants, and a widow’s mite moves heaven’s heart. You’re not overlooked. You’re entrusted. And entrusted people have an assignment: to be faithful with what the Master has placed in their care.

Francis Chan once wrote, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” - Francis Chan, Crazy Love. That line has a way of clearing the fog, doesn’t it? It calls us back to what counts—what will echo in eternity. Not applause, but obedience. Not accumulation, but faithfulness. Not fleeting trends, but the Master’s “Well done.”

Jesus tells a story about a master who places his wealth in the hands of his servants and then steps away for a while. It’s a story about trust and time, about risk and reward, about faith that works and love that labors. It reminds us that our gifts are not random; they’re assignments. Our opportunities are not accidents; they’re invitations. And our days are not disposable; they are deposits, each one a chance to trade fear for faith, passivity for purpose, and hesitation for holy hustle.

As we read, imagine the Master’s eyes on you—not with scowl, but with a smile. He is not trying to trap you; He is training you. He is not loading you with guilt; He is lifting you with grace. He wants you free from fear, full of courage, and faithful in the little and the large. What has He placed in your palm? Where is He nudging your next yes? Who might be blessed by your obedience today?

Scripture Reading

Matthew 24:3 (KJV)

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Matthew 25:14-30 (KJV)

14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strowed:

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strowed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Friend, if you’ve ever felt you don’t have much to bring, take heart. Heaven’s arithmetic is different. Faithfulness multiplies. Courage compounds. Obedience opens doors. Today, we will consider how the Master entrusts gifts, calls for increase, and speaks over faithful servants with joy. Let your heart lean forward. Let your hands open in willingness. Let your feet be ready for the next faithful step.

Opening Prayer

Father, You are the generous Giver and gracious Master. Thank You for every good gift You have placed in our hands—time to steward, talents to employ, and resources to invest. Calm our fears and quiet our excuses. Replace hesitation with holy courage, worry with wisdom, and apathy with alertness. Open our eyes to see opportunities You set before us, open our ears to hear Your voice, and open our hearts to love people in Your name. Teach us to trade faithfully, serve joyfully, and risk obediently so that, on that day, we may hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” By Your Spirit, shape our motives, sharpen our minds, and strengthen our hands. In the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.

Gifts entrusted by the Master

When the disciples asked for signs about the end, Jesus answered with pictures of daily life. He spoke of a man who placed what was his into the hands of servants and then stepped away for a time. That picture shows how life with God works. He is the owner. We are caretakers. What rests in our hands comes from His hand first.

This means our days carry weight. Our work carries weight. The skills we practice, the relationships we tend, and the resources we manage are part of a trust. The story shows that the Master acts first. He initiates. He calls each servant, places real value in their care, and expects those gifts to move into motion. This is not random. It is ordered care.

The word used for the gift in the story is “talent.” In that world it meant a large sum, a heavy measure of wealth. So the scene is serious. No servant receives a trinket. The Master hands over something costly. Even the smallest share in the story is a fortune. This sets the tone. Heaven places true worth in human hands.

Trust like that tells you something about the Giver. He sees more than a task list. He sees people who can carry value and make value. He names them, calls them, and places His goods with them. That is how grace moves. It gives first. Then it calls for wise action.

The first words that matter are these: “he delivered unto them his goods.” The goods are His. Ownership stays with the Master. Stewardship sits with the servants. When we forget this, we clutch and fear loss. When we remember it, our grip loosens and wisdom grows. We can plan. We can plant. We can move with care because the weight is His, and the tools are His, and the outcome rests in His world.

In simple terms, nothing we hold is an accident. A mind that can think is a trust. A trade you learned is a trust. A paycheck is a trust. Quiet time is a trust. Influence with a few people is a trust. Even pain can become a trust when it grows patience and creates space for mercy toward others. The Master is the source of each thread.

This line from the story helps us understand scale: “to every man according to his ability.” The Master knows what each can carry. He does not assign the same amount to all. That is not disregard. It is care. He sees the frame of each servant. He knows pace, skill, and season. He matches the weight to the one who will carry it.

That small detail pushes back the urge to compare. The one with two is not under the one with five. The one with one is not invisible. Each holds a trust that fits. The question is not the size of the measure. The question is action with what has been given. When ability grows, capacity grows. When capacity grows, assignments grow. That is how the story moves.

Think about how this plays out in a week. Some can manage people, budgets, and deadlines. Some can hold a hand in a hospital room and do it with steady love. Some can teach a room of children and make them feel safe. Some can fix a broken latch or write a clear plan or carry a burden in prayer. Different weights. Same Master. Same call to faithful use.

The servants who received five and two “went and traded.” They did not wait for perfect terms. They took what was placed in their hands and moved it into the stream of life. Work began. Decisions were made. Losses may have come at points, yet the story shows gain. The Master did not command a method. He gave room for wise action. They acted in that room.

This shows that trust includes freedom. The servants were not micromanaged. They were given a span of days and a measure of wealth and an open field. They could think. They could plan. They could try. That is part of the gift. God gives resources and also gives scope to use them. Creativity belongs in stewardship. Diligence belongs in stewardship. Patience belongs in stewardship.

The story also says the Master was away “a long time.” That matters. Faithful work often grows in long stretches. Seasons pass. Results come in cycles. Some days feel quiet, with small advances. Some days bring clear fruit. The time is still holy because it is all held within the Master’s watch. He returns at the right time, and the work done in the meantime stands up under His eye.

Notice what happens when the Master returns. He settles accounts. There is a real review. The servants who put the gift to work bring forward what was gained. There is joy. There is honor. There is more work entrusted. Increase leads to further trust. In the kingdom, growth is not only a number. Growth is also an expansion of responsibility and joy.

Then we meet the servant who received one talent and hid it. He calls the Master harsh. He says fear held him. He returns what he was given with no increase. The Master answers with grief and anger because the gift sat in the ground. There was a path even for the cautious. He could have placed the money with bankers for slow gain. He chose to bury it.

This part of the story shows how our view of God affects our use of gifts. A hard view shrinks effort. A fearful view builds a case for safe hiding. When the heart sees the Master as generous and wise, courage grows. Courage is not noise. It is steady action with what is in the hand. It is a plan made in prayer. It is a risk taken with care and skill, offered back to God.

The ground where the talent was buried tells its own lesson. Gifts that never leave our grip never grow. Skills that sit still shrink. Influence unused fades. Time unplanned slips away. The soil does not change the coin. Only use changes the coin. The Master was not cruel to expect increase. The very nature of the gift invited movement.

So how do we avoid the shovel and the hole? Start small and start soon. Name what you have. Name where it can bless. Set a simple plan. Put it on the calendar. Ask two trusted people to pray and speak into it. Take the next step within a week. Review in a month. Give thanks for any sign of gain, even if it feels small. Keep going.

Also, learn the Master’s voice from Scripture. The servant who hid the talent told a story about the Master that did not match the Master’s actions in the parable. The Master gave, trusted, and rewarded. That is the true picture. When the truth about God goes deep, faith rises, and hands open. Work becomes worship.

Look again at the words “well done.” That is the goal set in the story. The Master speaks those words to servants who used what they had with care and grit. The number doubled in the parable, yet the praise matched both servants with increase. The scale of increase differed. The joy granted was the same. That shows what the Master honors.

This grace does not erase accountability. The one who would not act lost the trust he held. This is sober. The story says the unused gift went to the one who had ten. That may feel sharp, yet it fits the logic of the kingdom. Where faithfulness lives, capacity widens. Where refusal sits, capacity narrows. The Master places value where it will move.

There is also a word here about timing. The story sits between teachings on watchfulness and final judgment. Readiness in this section is not passive. It is active care of what God places with us. Waiting for the Lord includes working for the Lord with what He has put in our hands. This keeps the heart awake and the house in order.

The scene closes with weighty words about loss outside the Master’s joy. These lines are heavy, and they serve a purpose. They wake the soul to the seriousness of stewardship. Grace is free. Stewardship still matters. Life under the King is a real trust with real outcomes.

So lift the eyes and see the Giver again. Ownership is His. Assignment is ours. Every arena counts. Home counts. Work counts. School counts. Quiet service counts. Public work counts. Gifts material and gifts unseen count. Taken together, they become an offering He delights to bless.

Increase demanded from entrusted resources

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