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WISE INVESTMENTS

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Matthew 6:20

On this day in 1959, fifty-eight years ago, Alaska was admitted as the forty ninth US state. When Secretary of State William Seward bought this vast northern territory from the Russians back in 1867, many Americans considered it a waste of money, calling it "Seward's Icebox." In hindsight, however, it was an extremely wise investment. For a mere $7.2 million ($121 million in today's dollars), 586,412 square miles were added to the nation.

Investing in the future always costs money, and it often seems at the
time that you can ill afford it. And frankly, some things you don't need. Not yet, at least. For example, if you can get by with your present tools and business machines, you should. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"-and don't squander your money on a new one.

But when it comes to vital things like health insurance, if you think you can get by without it and save yourself a few dollars, you usually find your wallet smarting you in the end. Similarly, it's unwise to neglect investing in your eternal future. Jesus advises all Christians to invest in heavenly treasure. You do that by having faith in Him, living a godly life, giving generously, and doing good to all men.

Typically, when you invest in your future eternal life in heaven, worldly people will speak disparagingly and insist that you're wasting your time. That's because they have no vision for the future. Like Seward's critics, they don't recognize a truly wise investment when they see one.