INVESTMENT: CAN I BE TRUSTED?

Daily Scripture (Read Matthew 6:19-34)

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19-20

Daily Devotional—Investment: Can I Be Trusted?

When people come to the end of a short term missions trip, there is often a sense of joy and satisfaction in having worked hard for the Kingdom and having seen God move in people’s lives. They feel satisfaction for having invested their time and resources effectively. Usually it is bittersweet to think of returning to “normal” life where they will no longer live in close community with others and work together for a common goal. Life will not be nearly as “rich” in experience back home.
Matt.6:19-20 talks about investing one’s life wisely. For our Nicaragua mission team, reread the verse and consider how this particular mission trip has impacted you. What kind of impact would you like it to have on your life back home? For those at home, pray for our missions team to hear from God on these questions. Let’s also consider other places in Scripture where Jesus talks about wise investment.

Proverbs 23:4 “Do not wear yourself out to get rich, have the wisdom to show restraint.”

Luke 12: 16-21 talks about the man who builds huge barns for himself so he can store his treasure and then eat, drink, and be merry and indulge his life in self-focused pleasure. God takes his life from him before he can enjoy any of his earthly treasures, rebuking him for his presumptuous foolishness.

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have… never will He leave us or forsake us.” We want to cultivate contentment in what God has currently given us and take joy in His presence as the most essential part of our lives.

Luke 16: 9, 10, 13 “..use worldly wealth to gain friends… so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwelling. Whoever can be trusted with very little, can also be trusted with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? … you cannot serve God and money. ” Now may be preparation ground for eternity and our roles in heaven. Let’s take wise steps now to grow our ability to handle greater things for God later.

I Timothy 6:19 – “They lay up treasure…for the coming age so that they may take hold of life that is truly life.” If we want the kind of full, rich life God wants for us now, we need to begin by investing our lives in the opportunities He has already given us. Let us find ways to do good, share, be content with what we have. Let’s show restraint in what we buy or how much time we devote to treasure for just ourselves. And let us learn to be faithful in all areas of life, that God may lead us to that abundant, fruitful true life that is full of riches that will last into eternity!

For The Team:

  • Read Matthew 6:19-20 and consider how this particular mission trip has impacted you. What kind of lasting impact would you like it to have on your life back home?
  • How do these verses on “wealth” and “treasure” challenge you?

Pray:

  • Pray for our missions team to hear from God on the kinds of lasting impacts this trip would make on their lives back home.
  • Pray that Team Nicaragua will be ambassadors and encourage others in our church to pursue a global short-term missions experience.