IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS . . .
Joe and Deb Nabors
Living Lives Of
Faithful Stewardship
Together
Parables are purposeful puzzles, which in the solving, make us wiser in the ways of God. As we put together the pieces of a parable told by Jesus, we see more and more clearly how God works with people who proclaim faith in Jesus. Parables often manage to teach hard lessons to tough and resistant hearts, which need some hard knocks to wake them up before time runs out. A parable is a brightly burning torch Jesus lights with truth to lead those who would follow Him to rare places where God’s treasure is hidden. Then those with wide-open eyes can discover and wonder at the power and beauty of God’s Way. Parables challenge us to recognize and respond to God’s Word in faith which acts and blesses others.
In Jesus’ Parable of the Talents, Jesus implores us to act in accordance with the following powerful lesson: God gives each of us work to do in His Kingdom. He blesses us with all that we need in order to minister to others in the Name of Jesus. Then, he watches with pleasure as His servants use His resources to minister in His Name and for His Purpose. He rejoices when His servants take all that He places in their hands to go and bless others. In this way He builds His Kingdom.
In the Parable of the Talents, we meet three servants. The first is given five talents, and the second two. The third servant receives one coin only. Those servants who have received five and two coins respectively, go and work to double the number of coins entrusted to them. . Their commitment and effort draw their Master’s praise, for they have understood the opportunity given them to serve their Master with dedication and effectiveness. They are blessed in blessing their Lord with their work and in their commitment.
However, the servant entrusted with one coin makes it worthless by simply hiding it. He misses out on God’s reward because he fails to understand that the Master has placed in his hands a coin in order to earn another.
Joe and his parents
celebrate a big day
as he is called into service
as a judge.
Praise God! Jesus never wastes a single word in His parables as he paints bold stories filled with unforgettable characters, their trials, their triumphs and their testimonies. His stories provide examples of God placing His trust in His followers as He equips them to go and bless the world.
Sadly those listening casually to His parables never understand His meaning. Jesus suffered disappointments and dilemmas, for He was not only the Son of God, but also the Son of Man. So, He labored hard in His Father’s fields and gathered a rich harvest. This parable portrays how blessed we will be if we take assignments from our Lord as opportunities to bless Him by giving our best. This parable also pictures how sadly we fail when we refuse to take God’s blessings and use them to bless others. Faithful servants always earn more gifts to share with others as they bring glory to their Lord. Unfaithful servants lose this chance to so glorify Him.
You and I, we are so greatly blessed by those who have served faithfully before us, being used by God to powerfully multiply His Kingdom. Peter, John, Paul, Ananias and Sapphira, Lydia—and so many others we read about in Scripture; all of these have served hard and long in our Father’s fields. Even now, when I look around me in my family, in my church, in my community—all over the world, faithful workers serve even as God continues to grow His Kingdom. We praise Him as He blesses each of these in His service.
This week I will give just one example. I am so blessed to share with them our faith family’s worship and fellowship. I am further blessed to study the Word with them in the same Growth or Sunday School Group. I am speaking of Joe and Deb Nabors. I still remember how their love and prayers blessed our children when they were young, When we as a family came home on Stateside Assignment, they thoughtfully and lovingly encouraged Rachel and John David. Then, as our children grew older Joe and Deborah continued to step up and encourage and pray for our family.
Joe has been a Glencoe guy for a long time, since he actually moved to our town when he was four. He was saved at Walnut Grove United Methodist Church, his grandmother’s church. He grew up in the East Gadsden United Methodist Church, where he continued to grow in his faith. Eventually Joe became an Alabama State Trooper, and after a considerable time of service transferred to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, where he retired as a Captain. During that time he attended the Birmingham School of Law and earned his law degree. After retiring from the ABI he practiced law for several years. Then in 2015 he was appointed as a District Judge. He has won further terms without opposition. He continues to serve even now. During Joe’s years as a State Trooper and as he served with the ABI he had some really challenging experiences. He encountered the very best and worst among the people he served, as he and his fellow law enforcement partners protected us all. He will tell you to this day how God protected and empowered him throughout these years.
Joe and Deb’s story of faithfulness
continues in the lives of their daughter,
Ashley and her husband, Colby.
Now, during those years as a State Trooper, Joe met Deb in the emergency room of the Regional Medical Center in Anniston. Deb had been raised in Alexandria with five brothers and one sister. She actually grew up in Saks, and attended the First Baptist Church there until the family moved to Alexandria when she was in the third grade. They became a part of Mount Zion Baptist Church there. She was actually saved during a revival at Alexandria First Baptist Church, where she was baptized. Deb finished her schooling and began a forty-year career as a nurse in the emergency room at the Regional Hospital in Anniston. Interestingly, both her mother and her daughter have been nurses. After meeting in that emergency room, Joe and Deb married in 1985. They joined First Baptist Glencoe after their daughter, Ashley, was saved in a revival at the church. Since then, both Joe and Deb have been active and busy in various ministries—and Joe was ordained as a deacon in 2001.
As I mentioned, I have really enjoyed getting to know both of these faithful servants in Sunday School. They have always played an active part, with Joe doing some teaching and playing an active and positive role in sharing his Biblical knowledge during class discussion. Deb has often facilitated ministry efforts on behalf of the class—helping to keep us focused on serving others even as we enjoy the Lord’s blessing while we study His Word and grow together in faith. Prayer very much strengthens and encourages us as a class, and Deb and Joe sensitively pray among us and for us. I know from experience their faithfulness and ongoing commitment to prayer. How God blesses those prayers! John David, our son, would be one of those to attest to that.
Joe and Deb have both ministered in the larger community—reflecting our Savior’s Love for those who seem to need Him most. They have done so in their work, and in their strong involvement in blessing those who face difficult challenges in life. Using healing hands (Deb), and the law and justice (Joe), and recognizing those who are often not only ignored, but too often abused and mocked (Deb and Joe); they have certainly reflected the Love of our Lord.
While both Joe and Deb have faced tough challenges along the way, they have always maintained a strong commitment to continue serving the Lord Jesus they so obviously love. That brings me back to the Parable of the Talents. Both of these dear friends have demonstrated throughout their lives how our Lord can count on them to take every bit of gifting, talent, training and experience, and use it for His Glory first, and then for the blessing of others. They definitely help me picture Jesus and his teaching to His early disciples—“When I place five talents in your hands, they are there for serving My Kingdom and for blessing others as you do.” And I must say this, or both of them may “take me to the woodshed,” so to speak. They give all the glory to God, for to them, it is ALL ABOUT JESUS! Praise the Lord!
Matthew 25: 21 ESV
“Well done, good
and faithful servant.
You have been
faithful over little;
I will set you
over much.
Enter into the
joy of your master!”
