Investing: June 28, 2011

JUNE 28 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 28, 2011

INVESTING

DEFINITION:

To commit money in order to gain a financial return; a thing invested in; a particular instance of investing.

SCRIPTURE:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15.

“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” Matthew 13:12

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We spent some time recently reading through a newspaper that had literally pages of reports, suggestions and recommendations about investing. We read about good investments, shaky investments and bad investments.

We read about investing in land, in real estate, in gold, in banks, and in the stock market to name some listed on the pages of the newspaper. The so called “professionals” gave varied opinions with very few agreeing on what to invest in.

We read reports on why some investments were successful in the past and why some failed. But the one thing that we read continually was the uncertainty of all the investments.

When you think of the word INVESTMENT, what comes to your mind? Over the years we have met many people that live in cultures where the word investment would never be discussed and for most people could not even be defined. All of their thoughts each and every day were centered in survival.

We want to share with you today some thoughts from the scripture that deals with investment on a spiritual level. This means to us how are we investing our time, talent and treasure. The scripture gives us the best investment advice as to how we are to invest our time talent and treasure but most people today do not heed the words of Jesus.

In the verse above from Matthew six Jesus gives an investment alert when He said that where our treasure is, there will be your heart. In other words if you spend your time in investing your time in getting more money, being more popular or gaining a better position in life then that is where your heart is. But God expects us as believers to invest our time, talent and treasure in spiritual things.

In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus told a parable of the rich fool. A rich man who already had plenty of material things, tore down his barns and built bigger barns so he could store up more of this world’s goods. The parable has a sad ending. He died with his barns full leaving it all to someone else. He had put all of his effort in preparing for his life before death but had neglected to prepare for life after death.

This man was rich in possessions but he was not rich toward God. This is the warning that we read in Luke 12:15 (above). We must “WATCH OUT!” and be on guard that we do not make the purpose of our life be to obtain worldly possessions.

We become rich toward God when we invest our time, talent and treasures in serving Him. We store up treasures in heaven by our acts of obedience and faithfulness in doing His will.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 4:26.

In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

PRAYER:

Help me and my family to carefully evaluate where we are investing our time talents and treasures. Give us the wisdom that only You can give to help us be in Your perfect will concerning our investment of our time, talent and treasure.