Daily Journal: 5 April

Use What You Have

Use what you have and don’t give up. What you’re doing is not lost on God. He is watching to see all that you’re willing to do with what you have. He is looking at your heart. Keep planting.

The power of what you’re doing is in the sowing, not the harvesting.

Matthew 25:14-19

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

Our motivation needs to be in what we do with what we’ve been given and find joy in that. We are entrusted each according to our abilities. Our responsibility is to focus our attention on making good investments, and to planting good seed. While we like to see a reward for the effort we put in, the labour is more important than the increase we think we deserve.

While God is a God who rewards, we need to learn to love the labour without thought to the timing of the increase.

I pray we learn to recognise whether we’re doing our work to see God’s kingdom established on earth; that we will look for the joy in the opportunities we're given; and that we'll be grateful that we get to be attentive stewards according to what we've been given.

Yes, in time, God will bring a just and beautiful reward. God gave the patriarchs a promise but they didn't see in full all that God promised them. God is watching to see what we do with what we have in our hand, and with what heart we do it with. It's up to Him when He brings the fulfilment to the investments we make.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NLV)

Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart. Do it for the Lord and not for men. Remember that you will get your reward from the Lord. He will give you what you should receive. You are working for the Lord Christ.

Luke 12:33 (NASB 1995)

make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.

Romans 2:7 (NCV)

Some people, by always continuing to do good, live for God’s glory, for honor, and for life that has no end. God will give them life forever.