Daily Direction Reading PlanSample

Back in 1844, a group of Christians believed Jesus Christ would return to earth on October 22. They sold their homes, refused to harvest their crops, and waited in vain for Jesus to come. When He did not come as they predicted, many were terribly disappointed. The Bible is clear that one day Christ will return, but nobody knows when that will be. We read in Luke 19 a story Jesus told to correct the impression that the kingdom of God would appear right away. He told how a wealthy man was about to take an extended trip. He left resources for his servants to use in business while he was away. One gained 10 times more than he received. Another gained five times more. A third servant hid the money and produced nothing. When the wealthy man returned, he commended the first two servants, but he condemned the third for his laziness and failure to use the resources he gave him. The lazy servant had a lame excuse: he did not invest the money because he was afraid of his boss. So the wealthy man took the money from him and gave it to the one who produced the most. The story teaches us this: while we wait for Jesus Christ to return, God expects us to use the resources He has given us—our time, talents, and treasures—to promote God's program—to spread the Gospel, to live Christ-centered lives, and to work for justice in the world.