Prayer
Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your sense of anticipation that God is about to speak to you through His Word. Then, before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer directly from Psalm 51:10-12.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me..
Amen.
Reading
The long and the short of this parable is that followers of Jesus are called to be vigilant and diligent in the tasks to which He has called us. We are to serve His Kingdom-purposes faithfully in this world every single day, as if it was our last.
To be faithful to Jesus requires focus, and a single-minded determination that everything else one fills one’s life with will be done in such a way as to bring glory to the Father, joy to the Lord Jesus, and to further His Kingdom. It is not that we are to spend every waking moment of our lives in “Church-work”, evangelism or prayer. Rather it is that our marriages, parenting, friendships, studies, work, hobbies and so on, are all to be carried out in such a way as to please the Lord and to fulfil His purposes.
Is it not interesting that Jesus places a particular emphasis on the faithful and wise servant being one who cares for the other household servants by giving them their food at the proper time? By contrast, the evil servant turns to beating up his fellow servants and to abusing the master’s resources. It seems that a major focus of our readiness is actually how we use the resources the Lord has given us, either to bless and build up, or to break down and destroy those who are walking this road with us. How we treat one another is a massive part of our readiness!
Let’s end this reflection with some teaching given by the apostle Peter. I suspect he may have been thinking of this teaching of Jesus when he wrote 1 Peter 4:7-11:
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Contemplation
Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn one or more of these declarations over and over in your mind. Keep them in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ:
- I will stay faithful to Jesus today.
- I will care for my fellow believers in such a way as to bring joy to Jesus.
- I will be ready when He returns.
Holy Spirit, guide and empower me to be faithful. Help me to bring joy to Jesus and glory to the Father, in every aspect of my life today. Amen.
Dave's Diary 