Matthew 13:11-12 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

From a strictly human standpoint, this seems grossly unfair. However, God knows what each person will do with what they have been given, and that changes everything. God’s gifts are not to be put on a shelf as trophies, they are to be used in obedience to Him to advance His kingdom and give Him glory. This should cause every believer to examine themselves to see what they are doing with the knowledge of God that they have been given. If they are tending to hypocritical self-righteousness, then they really haven’t appropriated that knowledge and it will be taken from them. If they are recognizing their own weakness and delighting in God’s grace, then they are ready to be given more and more understanding of God. The more we do know God the more we will know Him, but the more we think we know enough of God, the less we will really know Him. As Paul recognized, the Christian life is not one of having arrived, it is one of pressing in for more of God. (Philippians 3:13-14)

This is of course as relevant to me as it is to every believer. Since pastors are in the position of teaching others, there is always the risk of thinking we’ve arrived, that we don’t need to keep pressing in for more of God. This is perhaps what happened to Solomon, and his early wisdom was replaced with foolishness. Many high profile leaders through the years have been felled by just such deception. Anyone who knows anything of God should always be pressing in to know more, because we can never know everything of Him. After all, He’s infinite, and we’re finite. That doesn’t mean I’m not to have assurance of the things I do know, and teach them accordingly, but it is to say that I must do so with humility, recognizing that I’m teaching partial truth. As Paul said in the famous Love Chapter, “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) I need both humility and assurance, and above all gratitude, as I seek to lead others to press in with me for more of God.

Father, thank You for Your grace. May I never take it for granted, foolishly thinking I have earned it. Help me feed the sheep as they need and as You intend, not failing to take in Your Word myself, so that together we may grow as You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!