“Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:20-21
“I can only imagine” is a powerful Christian praise song that has changed the lives of millions of Christians. What is amazing is the story behind the song. Bart Millard of Mercy Me wrote the song in just ten minutes following the death of his dad. His father was a brutal abuser. Bart hated him and ran from home. After months on the road with the new band, he came home to try to close loose ends. What he saw surprised him. His father was changed. He had started listening to preachers on the radio, reading the Bible and other books. None of this mattered to Bart. His father told him of all that was occurring and asked his forgiveness. Bart couldn’t bring himself to forgive. Then, Bart learned his father had pancreatic cancer and was dying.
He turned back and talked to his dad. Over the last days of his dad’s life, Bart came to forgive him. He stated that he had seen the man who was a monster become someone he wanted to be like. He saw the power of God through the change in his dad. His grandma told him at the funeral, “imagine what he is seeing now.”
Following the funeral, on the bus back with Mercy Me, crying over the loss, he wrote this fantastic song.
“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” Luke 12:48
When we take the gifts God has given us and ‘invest’ then back to the Kingdom, God will give such graces. Imagine if Bart hadn’t returned to give mercy to his undeserving father? “I can only imagine” would have never come to music. So many who had their hearts turned due to its lyrics would still be out there – alone.
I look at these verses and God’s promises this morning as I meditate upon my responses to His Will. I struggled many times to trust. I’ve learned to say yes – always and now. When I write “I Knew His Voice” it was the same. I wrote the initial publication in just a few nights. The second edition that closed the story was the same, once I sat to write, I re-wrote the opening chapters to fit more my original desires and added dozens of pages covering nearly a decade in just one evening.
I can’t say “I Knew His Voice” had had a fraction of the impact of “I can only imagine”, but I know hearts have been changed and souls have been won for God.
Both the song and my book show that God can use any and all situations for our growth and His glory. He has given us the talents to handle. Forgiveness for Bart and trust for me. When we gave back more than He gave us, God exploded the gifts into a great treasure.
Do you give your yes and trust to God? Do you take the moments of your life to invest the talents He has for you and give them to His Kingdom?
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