BY JACK WARD
PASTOR, TOMAHAWK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Matthew 25:21: “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
A certain king needed a faithful servant and had to choose between two candidates for the office. He took both at fixed wages and told them to fill a basket with water from a nearby well, saying that he would come in the evening to inspect their work.
After dumping one or two buckets of water into the basket, one of the men said, “What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we pour the water in, it runs out the sides.” The other answered, “But we have our wages, haven’t we? The use is the master’s business, not ours. He is a wise King and must have his own purpose that we do not understand.”
“I’m not going to do such fool’s work,” replied the complainer. Throwing down his bucket, he went away.
The other man continued until he had drained the well. Looking down into it, he saw something shining at the bottom—it was a diamond ring.
“Now I see the use of pouring water into the basket!” he exclaimed. “If the bucket had brought up the ring before the well was dry, it would have been filtered out in the basket. The King was looking for his diamond. Our work was not useless.”
The King found his most faithful servant!
We who have served Christ for many years sometimes wonder, “What are we accomplishing? Are we doing anything worthwhile? Is anyone listening? Does anyone care? Why keep going?”
God is looking for diamonds. It takes a lot of effort in prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, hospital visits, phone calls and sending cards and letters. It takes time and effort in being kind to the unkind and in giving comfort and help, but God wants us to keep on pouring water into the basket. God will find the diamonds.
Diamonds are people. People that God loves and wants to touch. God will touch them through your faithfulness and perseverance.
Philippians 3:13-14: “But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Brothers and sisters, press on! Keep on! Don’t quit. You are not alone. There are many just like you who keep pouring water into the basket day after day for their Lord.
Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and more at tomahawkmbc.com.