WHAT WILL BE YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT?

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“What are mortals, that they could be pure, or those born of woman, that they could be righteous? If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt, who drink up evil like water!”

“Listen to me and I will explain to you; let me tell you what I have seen, what the wise have declared, hiding nothing received from their ancestors (to whom alone the land was given when no foreigners moved among them): All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him. Terrifying sounds fill his ears; when all seems well, marauders attack him. He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness; he is marked for the sword. He wanders about for food like a vulture; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. Distress and anguish fill him with terror; troubles overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack, because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield.”

“Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh, he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where no one lives, houses crumbling to rubble. He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away. Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return. Before his time he will wither, and his branches will not flourish. He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree shedding its blossoms. For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit.”

 Job 15:14-35

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What are we living for?

It’s a fair question to ask and many people do as they try to make sense and find meaning to their existence. And as they consider the answers, they hope to find out what reward might await them for all the hard work and toil they put in.

Now the world would suggest that the aim of life is to work hard so that you will be successful, accumulating wealth and possessions. And this return on investment promises to lead a person to happiness and peace. With this, a person well off is doing well in life while a person struggling is not.

But is life just about accumulated money and possessions? Does money buy a person true happiness?

In our scripture passage from Job, Chapter 15, we find a rebuttal to this ideal as Eliphaz continues his second discussion with a suffering Job.

Now in Job, we see the world’s definition of happiness and peace played out. He had everything going his way…wealth, possessions and a loving family. He had labored hard to get to where he was and was happy and at peace in life. But when disaster struck and Job lost nearly everything, we find him enraged, frustrated, and agitated. He had lost his return on investment and with it, his hope.

Eliphaz provides warnings to people who place their focus on the wrong things of life, namely everything but God. Consider his words again:

“Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh, he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where no one lives, houses crumbling to rubble.”

“He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land.”

“He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.”

“Before his time he will wither, and his branches will not flourish. He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.”

“For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit.”

In other words, living a life for anything but God and the eternal reward He promises as a return on investment will result in hardship and struggle. For God does not reward those who do not place their faith and trust in Him and Him alone.

So with this, what was Eliphaz’s advice?

We find it in verse 31:

“Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return.”

Or as an old song proclaimed, “Nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothin’.”

Trust in the things that don’t bring eternal reward, things that take our focus away from the One who is our Great Provider, and you will find yourself with no return on your investment.

Jesus put it this way:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. You cannot serve both God and money.”  Matthew 6:19-20, 24b

Friends, the inheritance we receive from God when we place our faith and trust in Jesus as our Savior is richer than anything this world can offer. Short term sacrificing in laboring for God with our focus fully on Him and His Son results in long term treasures only found in Heaven where one day we’ll reside as the Father has prepared many mansions for His faithful.

So what are you living for today…things that are worthless or treasures for heaven?

I think the scriptures make it very clear which choice we should make. The choice is up to us.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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