“OCCUPY”
Becky Swank
“…And He called His ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come…” Luke 19:12-28.
As we read this parable, we find that when the nobleman returned the first servant came saying, “Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.” He was given ten cities. The second came saying, “Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.” He was given five cities. “Another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou did not sow.” So his pound was taken away and given to him that had ten pounds.
The Lord wants us to occupy till He comes, being fruitful through Him. He does not want us to be as the other servant and lay up in a napkin the Word which He has given us, and just “kill” or waste away time till He comes. We all have had disappointments, let downs, and many trials. It is so easy to get preoccupied, dwelling on situations; and before we know it days, weeks, months, possibly years have gone by, and we really have not occupied in the way He planned at all. Occupying is not just for the ministers, Sunday School teachers, elders, and so forth; we all are to occupy. We do not have to find something to occupy ourselves either. As we read in verse thirteen – “He delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” He gave to them. And the Lord has given to us!
Ephesians 2:1-10, “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Colossians 3:1-17, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth…For which thing’s sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience; in the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these…seeing that ye hath put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him…but Christ is all, and in all. Put on
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another…And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…and be ye thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in you hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”
Oh, it is so important to fill our time occupying in the Lord! It is the only way we can put off the old man and put on the new man. That in itself will keep up busy till our beloved Bridegroom comes! In verse eight we read, “But now ye also put off all these.” It is not that we put off all these last year, or last week. But now! This is daily yielding to the new man. If we are doing that, we are occupying! It is a living testimony which will bring forth fruit! In Luke, we read how the servants were rewarded as much as their pound had gained. The pound of the one who laid his up in a napkin was taken away. Oh, let us not lay up in a napkin God’s precious Word; but let us be fruitful and receive the maximum reward, Jesus Christ as our Bridegroom!
I Corinthians 9:24-27, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the Prize? So run, that ye may obtain…I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection…”
Philippians 3:8-14, “Yea doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness…but that which is through the faith of Christ, and righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection (out from) the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: 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.”
