Can you hear James Brown singing or see him dancing from reading this title? Me too. I can’t help but to hear his notable voice over rhythmic horns and beats. But Mr. Brown was talking about a different type of payback in his song than what I will speak about in this article. The King of Soul was talking about revenge. I want to talk about investments.
Stick with me, reader. I’m going to loop this back around to Christ, but have you heard of Crypto? It’s supposedly a tradable digital currency. It’s not quite stocks, but it is a form of investment. I looked into it because I have a slight interest in stocks, bonds, and investments. However, I am apprehensive of investing even the smallest amount (even $40) into something and losing it… which is why I haven’t committed to investing into anything yet.
Last week, a group of my co-workers started talking about Crypto. One of my co-workers mentioned how she made upward $4,000 from a $200 investment. “Not bad,” I thought. She then went on to say that we probably wouldn’t believe her next statement. She said several months ago her payout showed upward $23,000 but she lost it because she didn’t sell. She said someone told her to wait it out. They told her it was going to go up even more. So, she waited but lost out big time.
“That sucks,” I said. She agreed.
Now, let me take you back to what God revealed to me several months ago. I was fasting (God always speaks volumes to me while fasting) and on my way to work. There was this car in front of me and the license plate read: INVEST.
I stared at it for a long time. I can’t explain it to you, but I just knew there was significance in me seeing that license plate. I knew it meant something. Then before the light turned green, I felt a nudge to write it down. So, I wrote it in my journal and kept driving.
I arrive at work… and I do the usual, you know. I work. Big surprise. But as I work, I tend to listen to sermons or inspirational messages. So, I click on one of my favorite YouTubers’ video. And do you know what she said? She said, “God is an investor.” …
From the title of her video, there was zero, no evidence at all, that she would say anything about God being an investor… but she did. Oh, but wait! There’s more. It just so happened that God also led me to the Book of Ecclesiastes. And guess what Ecclesiastes said?
Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
(Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 NIV)
Invest… Invest… Invest. See those words “invest” and “return” in this scripture? God was telling me that if I invested in Him, if I invested in this ministry, He would give me a return on it. And what more could I say to God but “Hallelujah and Amen”? I received it then and I receive it now.
And baby, you better believe that word applies to you too. Yes, God can and will give us a return on our investments in Him. When we invest our faith in God and diligently seek Him, He will reward us (Hebrews 11:6). When we invest our tithes into His storehouse, He pours us out a blessing so ginormous that we won’t have room enough to receive it (Malachi 3:10).
When we invest in having mercy and truth bounded about our necks, God returns our investment with a portion of favor from Him and man alike (Proverbs 3:3-4). Indeed, God is an investor!
When God first told me that He was an investor, I didn’t write an article about it. Sometimes I choose not to write about the things God reveals to me because occasionally the word God gives me is just for me. That word was a personal one at the time. I knew it was just for me.
But this time around, I know this word is for you and me. For a while, God was (still is) talking to me about blessings. Earthly blessings. And again, I receive any and everything God has for me in the land of the living. And if you don’t think God makes promises of earthly blessings, then think again.
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
(Mark 10:29-30 NIV)
God said we would receive those blessings in this present age and in the age to come. Ain’t God good? We don’t have to wait until judgment day to get some of His goodness. We’re gonna get some good ol’ blessings now. Yet lately, God has been dealing with me about what’s to come on the other side.
Because as beautiful and promising life and its blessings can be, it’s all temporary. Life is fleeting and none of the blessings we receive on this side will matter in the final day. None of the physical investments will matter. But the spiritual ones will.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
(Luke 14:13-14 NIV)
See that word “repaid”? There goes God again telling me, telling us, that He is an investor. But the investment here is promised to be repaid at the resurrection. Our primary focus needs to be on being prepared for the final payout on our investments. We need to worry about the Big Payback.
Because one day God will pay us all back for our deeds. We can make good investments or bad investments. The decision is ours. But we will all receive a return on our investments. I can only imagine how devastated my co-worker was when she realized she had missed out on a +$20,000 return. And unfortunately, when this life is over, many will be devasted because they will realize they have missed out on the biggest payback of all eternity.
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
(Revelation 22:12-15 NIV)
Don’t miss out on this return! God’s reward will include a mansion in the sky. His reward will include living in a city that is composed of gold and the finest of jewels. God’s reward will include never having to deal with the sting of death. Never having to worry about pain and sickness. God’s reward will include eternal peace, joy, and love. We will live with God and the heavenly hosts forever and ever.
And there’s no gamble here. It’s a guarantee per the scriptures. You honestly never know if you’re going to receive a return on investments in the crypto or stock market world. You just invest the money and hope for a pleasant return. Some may say it is the same with following Christ. They may say following Christ and investing in Him and His kingdom is also a gamble and there’s no way to guarantee a peaceful afterlife or no way to prove that there’s a God at all.
And to the skeptic I’d say touché. I’ve no proof besides the Word of God and my faith that these things are true. I’ve never died and gone to heaven as evidence. But if there’s ever been anything that I’m willing to gamble on, it’s God and His Word. It’s a gamble to believe or not to believe, isn’t it?
But as for me, I’ll take my chances in my faith. Though I’m not too keen in investing $40 or more into earthly investments, I’ll gamble my life away into The Big Payback. Why? Because there’s too much at stake. I can’t afford to die and then lose my soul. I can’t afford to die once and then die the second death. Nope. Can’t do it.
Therefore, I look forward to a return on my investments in this life and the next. I’m waiting in expectancy for blessings over here and eternity over there. And I’m prayerful you are waiting in expectancy as well.
That’s all you guys. Be blessed! Have a wonderful day and week.
Quin Arrington's debut book "And Then You Shall Have Good Success: Attaining Good Success God's Way" is available on Amazon in paperback and eBook format. Link to book listed below.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093YK8SBJ?pf_rd_r=5YWRGY52QBQEF3N74385&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35