“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” – Hebrews 10:36
Do you remember those ads that say, “Risk-free trial for 30 days,” or “Risk-free guaranteed warranty” for some amount of time?
They promise to guarantee you its value or service without a commitment?
Have you ever wondered why so many companies make such claims or guarantees?
Well, it’s because we live in a world where the exact opposite is true—nothing is guaranteed!
There are hidden fees, strings attached, or the product is not as good as they claim it is.
So companies make these promises hoping you’ll fall for the guarantee, which of course is always limited.
We rationalize that if we don’t like it, we have a guarantee to return it anyways.
The lack of commitment swoops us in, so we humans like guarantees even though they’re short lived.
However, we have a guarantee, a promise that is never to return void, fail, decay, parish or even have a limited time offer.
It is everlasting, fulfilling, eternal and never runs out!
It’s no other than the risk-free investment of salvation and did I mention its FREE?
Not only is the investment of salvation, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, the best investment you’ll ever make.
I want to go a little deeper and encourage you to understand that after you accept the Lord, the investments don’t stop!
God wants us to make investments in Him daily.
Are You Investing in the Lord?
Let’s take the financial world and apply it spiritually.
“And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” – James 1:4
As most of us know, the Christian life is not promised to be easy.
Especially in a world where we are going against the tide more and more as the days grow more evil and cold.
Therefore it is not a time to get colder or go along with the tolerance of the world for evil.
But a time of even greater investment in the Lord like never before!
“Better is a little with righteousness, than great income with injustice.” – Proverbs 16:8
In the financial world, there’s a term referred to as an exchange.
This is where certain commodities and securities are traded.
Today you can start your spiritual exchange as you begin investing in the Lord.
You can trade your problems for a purpose.
Trade your grief for gladness.
Trade your weakness for strength.
And trade your hopelessness for hope!
We live in a scary yet exciting time in history where investing in the Lord has significant returns.
Returns that produce, not materialistic profit, but eternal gains that will help us to sail the storms and prepare us for what’s to come.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4
So it’s not just preparation for this life, but also our eternal life in heaven.
Think of it as your eternal life insurance.
Your life is literally insured in the guarantee of Jesus Christ—today tomorrow and forever!
Where Are You Storing Up Your Treasures?
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” – Matthew 6:20
This is true investing with eternal rewards for we build and store not for our earthly home but our eternal ones.
We get to store treasures of character and righteousness.
What are you giving God daily?
What is God asking you to give to him today?
Think of it as your spiritual dividend.
In the finance world, a dividend is something you give to a shareholder regularly out of your profit.
God often asks us to make spiritual dividends unto Him.
Think of your day as your work.
What in that day have you given and surrendered to God from the load or lot of your day?
It could be a tough situation at work, home, relationships, life transitions—anything!
But what we invest in God doesn’t always need to be something hard or painful.
We can invest thankfulness to God too!
Giving thanks to God is mentioned 114 times in the Bible.
So God expects and requires it.
Complaining takes from God while giving thanks does the opposite.
So either way, we can make spiritual dividends and investments to God daily whether in sacrifice or in praise.
Are You Trusting In The Bank More Than Your Creator?
Why is it more comfortable for people to trust banks and insurance companies more than God?
There is always something out of the day that we can give to God to show Him we are investing in Him.
And, putting our trust in Him!
Like the dollar bills say, “In God we trust.”
Don’t let it just be a slogan on paper money.
Instead, let trusting God rule your hearts and mind completely.
What’s so great about God is that although we as humans make small, limited and even seemingly bad investments at times.
This has no bearing on the excellent return we receive from Christ.
Which are always good and perfect for every situation we encounter.
Key Takeaway
We have the guarantee that God is working on our behalf—always!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
When I think about a high reward for a pretty pathetic investment, the story of Jonah comes to mind.
God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach repentance.
But Jonah despised the Ninevite people and regarded them as lost souls that didn’t deserve the Lord’s mercy.
So he ran away from God and His will for His life.
But instead of killing Jonah on the spot for his rebellion, God got his attention another way.
He allowed him to be swallowed up by a great big fish, where he was stuck for 3 whole days!
As a result, Jonah repented of his hardened heart and rebellion.
God had the fish spit him out on dry land.
Right on the shores of Ninevah to be exact!
So you see, even in the midst of Jonah’s limitations and warped thinking, God spared him.
Sure, he had it rough for three days while trapped in the belly of a whale for his rebellion.
But God used him nevertheless in a mighty way.
Eventually, God used him to save the whole country of Nineveh!
The Ninevite people were wicked, but because of Jonah’s investment of obedience, the people repented, fasted, prayed and re-invested their trust in God.
And, ultimately God saved them from His wrath.
Not because the Ninevites deserved it—far from it.
But because of who God is and their choice to repent of their sins.
So you see, when you give your concerns to God, you can be confident that He will make a higher return than you ever could imagine.
It’s not based on merit, what you do, or how good you are…
It’s based on the goodness of the Lord!
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” – Psalm 27:13
Amen?
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