It is so ironic - maybe prophetic what God taught me the week before, the day before, you went Home. As you know, in the KIDS band at the Stone, we would do a REAP (Read, Examine, Apply and Pray) for a chapter in the Bible each week. We did this with Paul, Josh and Jesse for probably a year before you headed off to A&M. The goal was to read the chapter over and over during the week and, as inspired, REAP on a particular verse, verses or the whole chapter. In this way, we would step through a book of the Bible to get to know it, get to know each other, get to know God.
So, here is my REAP April 18, 2012. Copied right from my phone unedited.
Matthew 25 REAP
READ
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. ’ Matthew 25:23
EXAMINE
The Master returns from a journey after previously entrusting different amounts of His resources with three servants. Two servants multiply what was entrusted to them - the Master responds with the same words regardless of the amount of return. The amount is not the driver, it is the attitude and response of the servant. The last servant superimposes his fears on his Master and is paralyzed - he does not act, does not invest and fails to provide a return. Judgement, not blessing is given to him.
APPLY
To me, this is one of the more challenging chapters containing Jesus' words. His stories are emphatic that we are to be ready for His return, faithful with the talents He has given us and that we have been blessed to be blessings. Each one of these stories draws me out of my "self" perspective, time schedule and goals and focuses me on Him, His kingdom and the needs of others. I am thankful that the amount of talent we are entrusted with, the amount of our return to Him, are NOT the drivers. The Master offer the same "Well done!", the same blessings of responsibility and "joy of your Master" regardless of the amounts. I want to be motivated by that last one in particular - entering into the joy of my Master - to know Him, to experience Him, to rest in Him, to rejoice continually in Him.
PRAY
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10- 11)
Lord there are many things that I want. I want to want You most of all - Your Person, Your presence, Your joy, Your approbation, Your joy, Your Passion, Your power, Your sufferings, Your death and Your life everlasting. Grant us this heart, grant us Yourself. These things I ask for myself and my friends.
Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Psalms 43:3-4
Prayer Requests
Prayer for my Dad as he undergoes radiation therapy for prostate cancer - for endurance, for healing; For travels coming up: safety, witness and rejoicing in Christ; For the kids while we are gone; For my wife and I in our relationship.
So, there it is. So many things that were needed just one day later.
- The knowledge that the Master may call, to return, at an unexpected time;
- That the amount of talent or time was not the driver, but what was done with it - the return;
- The blessings offered - the "Well Done!" and the "joy of the Master" to enter into;
- The goal to know Him, to experience Him, to rest in Him, to rejoice continually in Him;
- The desire to know Christ and His resurrection power starts with share in His sufferings;
- The Scriptures that God connected for me - to know Christ - being united with Christ in death; being united with Him sharing in His resurrection;
- The "Guitarist Psalm" we shared and discussed - going to God's holy hill, to the place of His dwelling to praise, to be at Home;
- The understanding of the manner God, You address faithful servants - with love, with honor, with joy, with sharing Yourself, your joy, Your Home;
- I ask to know You above all else...
Ian, you were faithful over little - far too few of years in my book and plans. But you multiplied these years into hundreds of lives exposed to the love, to the grace, to the saving power of Your Master through your love, your living with your heart out front, living with no fear to fall, through music, through effort, through friendship, and on and on. You multiplied the talents given to you 10X or more. I am proud of you son. You are all that a father can ask for. All that the Father wanted as He redeemed and created you to reflect His Son so well. Yes, you were ready; Yes, you were welcomed Home with much fanfare.
I feel that I am left with the too little. I am disappointed by the little. I have to keep living with too little without you. But God's truth, His preparation, His continued faithfulness pushes me to see what He had in store for you, what He prepared me to endure and what to look forward to.
Oh God, make me ready, may I be faithful with whatever little you have given me. May I too hear, "Well Done!"
Love you "e",
Dad
For context: Matthew 25:14-30.
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
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