Life Change Intl.

Radio Excerpts:
"Finding Buried Treasure"

The Atocha was a Spanish galleon, a large sailing ship that contained 47 troy tons of treasure. It struck a reef and sank in the Florida Keys in 1622. Its treasure remained hidden in the sea until 1985 when salvager Mel Fisher found it. For 363 years, the treasure lay at the bottom of the sea. What originally had great value brought benefit to no one because it was "buried treasure."
How intriguing that the third servant in the parable of the talents also had sunken treasure. "But he who had received one talent went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money" (Matthew 25:18). The one valuable given to him by his master was buried because of a wrong perception of his master’s character and motivation. It was a shipwreck of his own making!
Remember the other two servants in this story. One received five talents and the other received two talents. They invested the money and received a hundredfold return. They did their best to please the master and be trusted administrators. Their diligence and faithfulness brought them commendation as being "good and faithful."

Understand Faithfulness
Unfortunately the master was disappointed with his one-talent servant. He was displeased with what he did not do. The quantity of the talents didn’t matter as much as the quality he created from what he had. The Lord wanted faithfulness in what he had been given in life, whether he had little or much. Every person has been given one or more talents--spiritual gifts and goals--to be multiplied for the glory of God. I recently read a testimony of an elderly woman who had no money, but had a great heart to give money to missions. When she was praying about her dilemma, the phrase ‘garage ministry’ kept coming to her. She lived in a college town where students always needed storage space for boxes. She decided to rent space in her garage and charge by the box.
The Lord blessed her endeavors and filled her garage to the ceiling, enabling her to give hundreds of dollars to His work. She used her seemingly insignificant talent in a creative way. She didn’t sit around and complain, "There is nothing I can do for missions. My income is fixed! All I own is an ol’ dusty garage!" She made the most of her opportunity.

Know the Master’s Character
Several major errors are found in the thinking of the one-talent servant. Matthew 25:24-25 reveals, "...‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.’"
First, he had no trust in the master’s character. He thought he was harsh, cruel and merciless. Have you known people who fling such accusations against the Lord, blaming Him for wrongdoing and injustice? Somehow the servant missed the generous, loving nature of God who wanted to increase him and usher him into great joy. His view of the master was false.
The other two servants found the master to be joyful, generous and delighted with their endeavors to be faithful. They knew the loving intent of God so clearly shown in Luke 12:32, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." They were willing to develop the gifts given them. As 2 Corinthians 8:12 states, "If there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have."

Stop Fear Before It Stops ‘U’
The second error of the servant was his submission to fear. Matthew 25:25 reveals, "And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground...." Where there is no understanding of God’s love, there will be fear. Fear stops you from taking a risk and stepping out in faith. It besieges your mind with questions like, "What if I fail? What if I make a mistake? What if I am not a person God can use?" How many people have missed their divine commission because of faith’s great enemy--fear.
Fear caused the servant to hide, instead of use, his only talent. Fear always deceives and enslaves. It makes you feel unworthy to receive anything from Him. Romans 8:15 declares, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father." That is where you need to make the quality decision to walk in the ‘spirit of adoption’ and throw off the shackle of fear. Put on the armor of righteous- ness because of what Christ has done.

Open The Treasure Chest
The third error came when the servant dug into the earth to hide his talent, performing a burial that never needed to happen! This is similar to people who neglect and hide the abilities and dreams God gives them. They never take owner- ship of the divine plan. They use excuses like, "I have no wisdom or strength to do what I need to. God didn’t bless me like He blessed you."
Christ has committed all His treasures hid in Christ to you today. Your challenge is not to be like the servant who hid the talent--who felt it was impossible to please Him and build up His kingdom. Your Father God wants you to make the most of your divine treasures. Know the Master of grace and truth, not letting fear stop you from moving out in faith. Don’t let your life and gifts become buried treasure!!!!!

"Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him" (Psalm 33:8)