Verse of the Day 12/31

Verse of the Day 12/31  

 

Matthew 25:21   "The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!'  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

Today's verse is probably one that we think of more in terms of what we hope Jesus would say to us at the end of our lives, but it is fitting to look at it today, as a year comes to a close as well.  2020 has been a difficult year for most with many things happening that we could not have imagined before 2020 began. It might be good today, as this year comes to a close and we can put it behind us; to ask the question what Jesus would say about how we've done through the trials of this year?

 

John Piper writes, "The 365 days of the year are like a miniature lifetime. And these final hours are like the last days in the hospital after the doctor has told me that the end is very near. And in these   last hours, the lifetime of this year passes before my eyes, and I face the inevitable question: Did I live it well? Will Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge, say "Well done, good and faithful servant"   (Matthew 25:21)?....I feel very fortunate that this is the way my year ends. And I pray that the year's end might have the same significance for you. The reason I feel fortunate is that it is a great   advantage to have a trial run at my own dying. It is a great benefit to rehearse once a year in preparation for the last scene of your life. It is a great benefit because the morning of January 1 will   find most of us still alive, at the brink of a whole new lifetime, able to start fresh all over again. 

 

It is good to step back and reflect about the past year and to take a look at our life as well.  We've made it through 2020 but we don't know what the future has in store.  As we look towards next year, may we put in place some plans and goals, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit where at the end of the next year or end of our life, whichever comes first, Jesus would be able to say "well done, my good and faithful servant."

 

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

 

Matthew 25:20-23 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁰ "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' ²¹ His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' ²² He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' ²³ His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'