The Parable of the Talents

²⁸ So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

²⁹ 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.

Matthew 25:28-29 [NKJV]

Today’s passage/word is going to be rather long one, spanning almost 15 verses. While I could go over the entire passage, I prefer to focus in on two verses in particular, and that is verse 28 and 29.

This is not the first time that I have come across this bible passage in Matthew 25. In fact, coming back to it today, I could see that the passages had already been highlighted from before. During my first attempt at this “My Daily Bread” routine back in 2018~2019, this passage became one of my cornerstone bible passages. It’s like a spiritual mantra for me. It’s something that is constantly at the back of my mind. And I would almost remind myself of it nearly every single day. In fact, in almost everything that I was doing during that period of my life, I was constantly being reminded of this parable.

The Parable of the Talents is God’s way of reminding us (and teaching us) the importance of being faithful in the little things in life. It’s also a lesson about appreciation, gratitude, and knowing how to make the best of what we have. For many of us, we probably don’t have much today. I know that I don’t. I truly don’t. But it’s not about how much you and I have right now, but rather what we do with the little that we have today. It’s about finding ways to turn the little that we have now into something more.

The Real Act of Gratitude & Appreciation

Over the last couple of years, God has allowed me to experience a great amount of personal sacrifices and challenges. It is among those struggles that I started to develop a much deeper understanding of what true appreciation and gratitude looks like. When we say that we are thankful for something, is it just something that we say out of lip-service, or did we really mean it with our hearts. I’ve come to learn that the best way of showing our genuine gratitude and appreciation for the things that we have in our lives, is by how we treat what we have. That could mean our relationships, our work/jobs, our business clients/customers, and yes, even our day-to-day possessions and the food that we eat.

Making the Most (Best) of What We Have

That leads me to this part of the discussion. I have discovered (in my own way), that the best way to be faithful in the things that I have been given, is to find ways to make the most of what has been given to me. And depending on the situation and the nature of what I have, I also need to find a way to make the best of it (i.e. usually in my relationship with others).

I Have Experienced That Abundance

Yes, I did. By learning and practicing the real act of gratitude, in 2019, I got to experience what it’s like to get more as a result of both my gratitude for what little I had at that time, and also the proof that I had been making the most/best of what I had. An acquaintance that I knew during that time in my life reached out to me, and by the amazing grace of God, he helped me with everything that I needed. And in just one afternoon, God managed to turned my entire situation around. That was the very first time in my life that I finally understood what it mean in the Parable of the Talents.

Finding My Way Back Now

It may be sad, but it is also the truth when I say that I’ve lost my way for over two years. The last two years, instead of focusing on what I have been given, I began behaving in a way that reflected that servant who hid his talent. In many ways, I knew that I had wasted a lot of what I had when I didn’t do all that I can to make the most of them. And just like how the story ended, I had to sell a lot of what I had away eventually. I needed that money to survive, so yeah. Essentially, whatever I had had been taken away from me.

Looking back now, I do realize the lesson that God is trying to teach me. I have experienced both His incredible abundance when I am constantly being faithful, each and everyday (no matter how challenging it might be). And I have also experienced the pain of losing nearly everything that I had because I didn’t make the most of what had been given to me. Now, as I sit here sharing this daily devotion, I can officially tell you that the lessons in this Parable are true.

If we don’t learn to be truly grateful and appreciative of what we have today, and by that I also mean, making the most/best of what we have, one day, it will be taken away from us. Just like that. But if we understand and know how to appreciate and be grateful for whatever little we might have today, God will bless us with so much more than we could ever imagine.

Personal Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father,

I come to You today, deeply broken, and humbled by the lessons that You have given me.

I acknowledge fully that in the last two years of my life, I had lost sight of what has been given to me and as a result, I have failed to make the very best of them.

I understand now the lessons that You are trying to teach me about being faithful in the little things.

I am thankful for the reminder that it isn’t about how much I have today, but how I can find ways to make the most of whatever I have. In the process, turning what little I have into something more, something better.

Today, I continue to make this commitment that I will not focus on what I do not have, but rather, I will focus on everything that I do have (even if it’s not much now), and I trust that You will give me ideas and creative ways to make the best of it.

I know that with time, You will bless me with more, with something better.

I vow to give You all the praises and all the glory. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.