(This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Win the Day…Fly the Kite – LISTEN HERE)
Other than the kite flying contest in 1848, we don’t know much about Homan Walsh other than he moved to Nebraska and died in 1899.
Once in a while opportunity comes that provide a opportunity for notoriety and fame. The proverbial “15 minutes of fame” can come to us and then its significance fades into oblivion. Fame and notoriety might be fun for the moment and linger for a while, but life is not so much about the moments of fame, but the faithfulness in the moments of each day.
In two parts of the new testament, Jesus teaches about faithfulness and trustworthiness in the little things of life. In Luke 19:10 Jesus teaches, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
Mark Batterson, author of the book Win the Day, writes: “How you do anything is how you will do everything.”
True isn’t it? How we handle the little things of life will determine how we handle the big things of life. If we are dishonest in little things, it will be easier to be dishonest in the big things. If we are trustworthy in the little things, it will be easier to be trusted in the larger things.
Jesus used the parable of the bags of gold (parable of the talents) to encourage the same.
Matthew 25:19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
The servants were given bags based on their ability. They had a track record with the master and he entrusted to them with what he understood their level of trustworthiness to be. The ones with five and two bags did not disappoint. As they had done in the past, they put the masters’ money to work…even when the master wasn’t looking, even when the master was gone, they handled his money in a trustworthy way.
The result? They were rewarded with more trust.
Faithfulness in the little builds trust.
It’s why the servant who received one bag of gold and buried it was harshly reprimanded. He continued his track record of unfaithfulness. He hid the bag instead of putting it to work.
I don’t know if you will have 15 minutes of fame today, but I know the Lord will give you opportunities to be faithful in the little things…and how you do the little things will build trust in your ability to handle the bigger things.
Apply: What does faithfulness in the little things look like for you today?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for trusting me with what I have. Help me to be faithful and trustworthy with what you have given to me so that there might be a return for your glory and your kingdom. AMEN.