Time, Talent & Treasure

Matt. 2:^11-12 “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (emphasis added).

God wants us to be positioned in such a way that we can say like the wise men, we are seeking Jesus. What happens when you give God your time, your talent, and your treasure? He multiplies it, that is what He does. Let me share a personal testimony with you. During one of our Point of Contact services a while ago, I decided to sow a seed despite the bills I had to pay. So, while I was pondering over what my seed would be, my eyes went to some foreign currency I had kept aside. I considered giving half of it, but I knew I was supposed to give everything. So, I put it together because by God’s grace, I had an understanding of what I was doing, and I gave it. Even from that day, I got back over fifty times more than what I gave as a seed

Do not get me wrong, I am not telling you that God is a jackpot or a vending machine. Please do not hear that. If that had not happened to me, He is still God. And I know that I cannot out-give Him; it would be somewhere waiting for me in the future, and I am confident about that. But from the day I gave, and the next, and the next, and the next, God kept pouring back into me. I thought, why didn’t God say I should sell my shoe and give Him everything? The key thing is when God says you should give what is in your hand it is because He wants to show you what is in His hands. That is what He wants to do. When you think you are smart or that you can outsmart God, you are cheating yourself. Rom. 6:¹³ “…give yourselves completely to God—every part of you …you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes.” (TLB, emphasis added). Give yourselves [not partially, not partly, not some but] every part of you to God.

Joseph cooperated; he became a tool in the hands of God, and he was used for God’s good pleasure. The shepherds celebrated; they became tools in the hands of God, used for His good pleasure. Mary contemplated; she became a tool in the hands of God, used for His good pleasure. The Magi dedicated; they became tools in the hands of God, used for His good pleasure. Maybe like Joseph, God wants you to cooperate with Him today and stop fighting, stop fighting Him! Maybe like the shepherds, God wants you to celebrate, to be free, and let your light shine before men so that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Or maybe like Mary, He wants you to contemplate. He does not want you to only wonder at His Word, He wants you to ponder on His Words. He wants you to contemplate; take His Word, and digest it. Maybe like the wise men, He wants you to dedicate your time, your talent, and your treasure to Him.

Prayer [hymn]: Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise, let them flow in ceaseless praise. Amen!