Occupy Till I Come - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Matthew 25:15

Occupy Till I Come
The visible aspect of the kingdom was postponed when the Lord was rejected. There could be no kingdom on earth without the King. But before His departure to heaven, He gave His servants varying amounts of talents, according to their ability, to be utilized for Him until He returned at a later date. In Matthew's account, the one with five talents doubled his in trading; and the one with two talents also doubled his two. Therefore, they received the same commendation because they were equally faithful with what they had received. This is greatly encouraging, especially for those of us who are tempted to compare our relatively small ability with another who is more gifted, and become disheartened as a result. Faithfulness is the point the Lord is emphasizing in Matthew.

In Luke 19:11-27, each of His ten servants received one pound, but the results varied. One servant gained ten pounds, while another gained five pounds. Consequently, the reward was commensurate with how much they had gained. Rule over ten cities was the reward for the one who had gained ten pounds; and rule over five cities for the one who had gained five pounds. Here, the Lord teaches us about our responsibility to spend and be spent for Him until He returns. We cannot expend little and hope to gain much. Diligence and perseverance will be rewarded in the Day of the Lord—the day of His appearing and glory. Those of us who have received one talent may equally trade with it.

The servant who buried his one pound in the ground showed that he cared only about earthly things (Phil. 3:19). In Luke, the unfaithful servant tied up his one talent in a handkerchief because he was a lover of self more than a lover of God (2 Tim. 3:2, 4). Let us labor for Him!

Richard A. Barnett