“He who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents.”
— Matthew 25:16

At the start of a new year, it is as if we have a blank slate in our lives. We have a new beginning and new opportunities. I suppose everybody has had dreams of a greater life. The problem is that we all as children dreamed dreams and had great visions, but alas, as we grew up, most of those dreams faded away. They are destroyed by that pesky voice in our ear that whispers, “You can’t do it.” “No, you can’t.” “You never have, you never could, and you never will.”

So like acid rain that falls upon our dreams, they slowly disappear. Our great visions fade, our ambitions corrode, and our future fades entirely because we believed the negative words of the devil: “You can’t, you can’t, you can’t.” And so, we invent all kinds of reasons why we can’t. We may not want to admit that there is something whispering in our ear, but that is really the problem.

But the Lord has told us in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25) that He wants us to take that with which He has entrusted us, whether great or small, and use it profitably in this life for His glory and others’ good.

We should strive to be like the first servant who received five talents and earned five more for his master. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy to lose sight of ideas the Lord may have laid on our hearts. Is there some dream He has put in your heart that just won’t die? Maybe this is the year to begin pursuing it.

Dear Jesus, I turn over to You the dreams I have. Guide me and use me so that I may accomplish those things You would have me do. Thank You for the opportunity to serve. Lord, give me strength for today to do what pleases You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN FULFILL
HIS PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES.