Give Your Best – The Presidential Prayer Team

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. – Ecclesiastes 9:10

Give of Your Best to the Master, a hymn written in 1864, has as its second verse, “Give of your best to the Master/ Give Him first place in your heart/ Give Him first place in your service/ Consecrate every part.” A few decades ago, the United States Army’s recruitment slogan was, “Be all that you can be.” Both of those challenges are consistent with today’s verse… whatever you do, give it all you’ve got!

God always wants you to do your best. He desires your complete dedication, and He expects you to work. Your opportunities will vary, but wholeheartedness is what He desires from you. The Bible decries the lazy person, particularly in the book of Proverbs. Paul wrote in Titus 3:14, “Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” Jesus, in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), called out the “slothful servant.”

As you consider giving your best to the Master, do not compare yourself with others, be concerned only with the abilities God has given you. Remember, He is more interested in your devotion than in measuring your success. Study His Word for guidance and strength and pray for wisdom. Follow Him faithfully. Pray for members of law enforcement across the nation, that they might be strong and focused on their mission, and that they might know Jesus as the Source of their strength.

Today’s Verse: Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Matthew 25:14-30

¹⁴“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’