Mission 1:8 Generation Now Devotional | 2018 - Day 22
A Powerful Investment
By Ben Lovvorn
“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.”
Matthew 6:20
Each of us has been entrusted by God with certain resources. One day we are going to give an account to God for how we have invested those resources, and I know of only one investment that lasts forever.
God’s kingdom is a wiser investment than anything on earth, because God’s work yields powerful returns. As we have seen from Hebrews 11, God uses ordinary people who chose to walk in obedience in order to impact generations for the kingdom of God. Abraham’s faithfulness impacted two nations, and impacts every believer today. From the line of Rahab the prostitute who followed the God of Israel rather than the rulers of her city, we see the lineage of Jesus. I could go on and on about these heroes of the faith.
Over the past three weeks, we have asked you to pray and process through what it looks like to live a life of faith, leave a legacy, and steward your resources, just like those in Hebrews 11. The truth is, most of those people never saw the outcome of God’s promise. They never saw the full return on their investment. But we see it. And those people chose to be faithful regardless. They didn’t just focus on leaving a legacy. They were people marked by LIVING a legacy in their day. The impact of each of their lives created a powerful investment, an investment that you and I benefit from now.
We too have this opportunity through Generation Now, to leave a legacy by living a legacy in how we serve, go, and give. We live a legacy by transforming our world with God’s Word…one life at a time. And we do that now because the days are short and our culture is increasingly moving further from the things of God.
The harvest is plentiful. The next generation is waiting, and how you give makes a difference. Thank you for how you are already allowing God to use you. I pray that over the next two years we commit to give in ways that feel uncomfortable because we know that our God is powerful and the investment and return is eternal.
Questions for Thought
- What does it mean to you to live a legacy?
- What scares you most about giving? How can you begin praying and taking action in order to make a powerful investment, despite your hesitancies?
Author Bio
Ben Lovvorn
Executive Pastor
Ben serves by leading and overseeing the ministries and operations of First Baptist Dallas as the Executive Pastor. He earned a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University and a B.B.A. from Hardin-Simmons University. He and his wife, Parris, have four boys.
