OUR BEST INVESTMENT OPTION

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In Christ, Mark

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

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding He set the heavens in place; by His knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

Proverbs 3:13-26

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

If you took a survey of most people today concerning finances, you would find a healthy number who would say they are either currently investing their money or are one day interested in investing their money in any of the number of options available. They certainly do abound.

There are stocks and bonds and mutual funds. There are certificates of deposit, money market accounts, real estate, and individual retirement accounts. You can even invest in commodities like gold and silver.

So with so many choices, what should someone invest in?

People make a living advising people along these lines. You’ll find an abundance of books on the subject as well as internet content. A simple Google search on “how to invest” produced a whopping 274 million results! It’s not difficult to find counsel when it comes to handling your money, that’s for sure.

So we know what people can invest in but why do they invest?

Most of the time, people are trying to gain wealth that they think will bring them happiness. The world breeds this philosophy through its focus on the material things and material things require money to be obtained. It’s little wonder that the scriptures warn against objectifying money to the point where it becomes our main pursuit.

Jesus said the following on this matter:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24

Solomon also shared instruction on the matter. Look at his words from Ecclesiastes:

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.

This too is meaningless.

As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.

I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

Wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.

Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.  Ecclesiastes 5:10-15

Indeed, money can’t bring us true happiness, although many people think that it does. As Solomon sizes up so well, an obsession with money will only leave one unsatisfied because they will never have enough. Like a drug or alcohol, they build up a constant and continuous need for a money fix and they will always need more and more to feel fulfilled. They do so to their own destruction. For in the end, a fixation on wealth accumulation only draws us away from the only One who can give us real joy and that is the Lord, our Master, the only One we are to serve and pursue.

Yes, there are many worldly things we can invest in but thanks be to God for Solomon and his words in Proverbs today that show us where our best investment lies. Look at these words from Chapter 3:

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding He set the heavens in place; by His knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

Did you read the first two verses carefully?

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Genuine happiness or blessedness doesn’t come from stocks or bonds or mutual funds or any other worldly investment. No, those who are blessed are the ones who pursue divine wisdom from the Lord and gain understanding on life. We have no greater advisor available to us than Him.

Nothing can compare to divine wisdom. You’ll not find anything of greater worth or profit. Not gold, not silver, not rubies or any other precious gem. This is why it is our best investment option today and forever, and as we see it has been the longest running best option ranging back to Old Testament times more than 2,000 years ago. Indeed, it was present at the dawn of creation.

Our scripture tells us that the Lord laid the foundation of the earth on wisdom, setting the heavens in place through understanding and dividing the watery depths and setting the clouds in place through His knowledge. The Lord’s wisdom has been there from the very beginning and it will be there at the very end. It, like Him, endures forever.

So what is the profit we gain by making divine wisdom our best investment option?

Go back to the scriptures from Proverbs to find the answer:

Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

Invest in the divine wisdom of the Lord and you can expect the following returns:

1. You will find long life, a long life of blessedness.

2. You will find riches and honor, not from a worldly sense but rather from a spiritual one. For divine wisdom will lead you to Jesus and a part of the inheritance He provides to all who place their faith and trust in Him. There is nothing richer that we can receive than salvation and the chance to dwell with Jesus and God, His Father and ours, forever.

3. You will find pleasantness in life.

4. You will find peace on the paths you walk as you will be walking with the Prince of Peace.

5. You will find safety and protection. When you lie down to rest, we will not be afflicted by fear and will experience sweet sleep. You will not be afraid of sudden disaster or ruin for you know the Lord is by your side, leading and guiding you.

6. You will not stumble into the wicked sinfulness of the world because the Lord’s divine wisdom will always lead you toward righteousness and holiness.

Friends, great treasures await those who choose to invest in divine wisdom more than anything else. Solomon, a man who knew a little bit about seeking and receiving the Lord’s wisdom, uses his writing in Proverbs to contradict the worldly concept of what is valuable and shows us the best investment we can place our emphasis on. The best part of all of this is that this investment in divine wisdom is completely free and without risk, offering a guaranteed return. For the Lord freely imparts His wisdom through the Holy Spirit to those who seek it and no one will ever suffer loss when they pursue and receive it.

That’s something we can all bank on now and forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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