![]() ``But all the animals and the spoil of the cities we took as our booty. ``We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city. ``All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. ![]() ![]() ``We captured all his cities at that time there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. ``So the LORD our God delivered Og also, king of Bashan, with all his people into our hand, and we smote them until no survivor was left. ``But the LORD said to me, `Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.' ``Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og, king of Bashan, with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. ``Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ``For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. `Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' `Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. ``But his master answered and said to him, `You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. `And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. ``And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ``Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, `Master, you entrusted two talents to me. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things enter into the joy of your master.' ``His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful slave. ``The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, `Master, you entrusted five talents to me. ``Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ``But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. ``In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. ``Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. ``To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability and he went on his journey. ``For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. Imagine what can be accomplished when we follow His instructions for handling finances and invest our resources in His kingdom work. ![]() Whether we have little or much, seeking God’s priorities for our spending, saving, and giving will help us use His money wisely. We certainly don’t want to be foolish in God’s eyes. Luke 12:16-20 tells of a rich man who built bigger barns for storage instead of sharing what he had-and the Lord called him a fool. In this situation, the temptation can be to become overly protective of what we have. Then there are those of us who already have a financial plan-say, for college education, medical savings, or retirement-and are adhering to it. Otherwise, shortsighted thinking can lead to high credit card debt, overdue bills, and inadequate savings. But even when finances are tight, the Lord wants us to plan for the future. Sometimes there are seasons we can look ahead only a month or two. Not everyone is able to plan years and years into the future. The Bible helps us understand His perspective and offers guidance in setting financial goals. Our heavenly Father has provided us with resources and expects us to manage them wisely. The choices that believers make should align with God’s will-and finances are no exception.
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