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August 2 Investing In a Sure Thing

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city. They imagine it an unscalable wall. Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. ~Proverbs 18:12-13 

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He answers from His Holy Heaven with the saving power of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. ~Psalm 20:6-8

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~Matthew 6:19-21 

We haven’t visited this theme for a while: the question of where to put our trust. The choice is, do we trust in what we have in the seen world, or what we have in the unseen world? If we say it is God we trust, in the unseen world, are we actually investing in it? Or, in reality, are we treating Him as our back up plan, like insurance, just in case what we have in the seen world doesn’t deliver as hoped? 

“The wealth of the rich is their fortified city. They imagine it an unscalable wall.” The key word here is, “imagine.” This proverb reminds me of the movie, “The Bucket List.” If you haven’t seen it, briefly, it is about a very rich, lonely white man who happens to end up in the hospital with a poor, African American family man. Both have cancer. The white man can pay for all the treatments that he needs, but he witnesses his black roommate being denied basic treatment. The black man has a bucket list, meaning things he wants to accomplish before he “kicks the bucket.” The white man is intrigued and commits to helping this man fulfill his list. 

There are so many good lessons in this movie, but the one that I want to bring out for today is to pity the one who is chasing after the accumulation of wealth and possessions. He imagines that he is set for any disaster that will hit, but in truth, in the end, he is the most deceived. As we have said many times before, he will get to the top of the ladder of success only to discover that it was up against the wrong wall. 

Any scalable wall is the wrong wall. The truly unscalable wall surrounds the fortress of God! No ladder of success of any kind will get you over that wall. But you can get in. Jesus is the door! 

“Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.” Be grateful when the Lord breaks you, when the ladder crashes to the floor and things don’t work out as you had planned. God is removing you as the director of your life and causing you to reconsider whether you really knew where you were going in the first place. 

A proud heart cannot be directed or corrected, but a humble heart is more apt to listen to suggestions. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) He will lift you up to new life and purpose in Him. He will give you the proper honor even though you may not be recognized for it on this earth. 

Did you happen to notice the connection to yesterday’s thoughts about the Name of God, in the verses from Psalm twenty that compares the protection of chariots to the “Name of the Lord our God.” Again, that is pitting the seen against the unseen world where our true protection lies. Also, it is in His name, not ours that our power lies. 

Man’s power, riches, and personal fame are all fleeting and easily tarnished, but God is always acting on our behalf to bring about that family resemblance that we claim we want. That’s why Jesus advises us to invest in the unseen, which is the sure thing. What we have in this life will remain in this life, but what we have in eternity will last forever. Thank you, Lord. 

Prayer: Father, Lord, my Fortress, my Rock, thank You for the investment advice too. I place my trust in You and I make every effort to live for you. May it bear fruit as I find ways to share the gospel here on earth in the seen world, that the angels in the unseen world may have cause to rejoice over more new believers who respond to the gospel I share. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Song: Jesus, My Treasure 

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