"Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money." (Matthew 25:16-18)



The first commandment ever given to man in Genesis 1:28 was that we were to "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Even though this parable in Matthew doesn't tell us what the Master told His servants, it seems that they understood what was expected of them. They knew that they were to use their Master's goods and increase them. They even went beyond that and two of them doubled, or multiplied, what they had received.

A lot of people will seek God and ask Him to bless them financially. I don't know about the rest of you, but I know that it would be a lot easier if the answer to that prayer were a bag full of money that drops right in my lap. But that's not what God does.

If we learn nothing else from Lottery winners, one thing we should learn, is that being given a bunch of money, without first growing in our ability to handle money, is a recipe for disaster. Many lottery winners end up worse after their wins then they were before them.

Ephesians 3:20 tells us, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." We see that God wants to do so much more in our lives. He doesn't just want to give us a million dollars; He wants us to give us much, much more than that. But He doesn't want to ruin us in the process. He wants us to grow into our wealth, to learn how to be productive and multiply it, so He gives us something that is better than money.

Proverbs 8:10-11 says, "Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her." And when we receive God's wisdom, we will have: "Riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity." (Proverbs 8:18)

God's first command has never changed. He is expecting each of us to use what He has given us so that we can be fruitful, or productive, and multiply what we have. God not only gives us the skills, opportunities, and resources, but He also offers us His wisdom. Everything we need has been given to us, and our success is guaranteed, if we are faithful and use it.