Good Morning Friends,
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for after
many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you
do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2)
Ecclesiastes includes many aspects of the
wisdom of Solomon. Solomon gives many broad principles in it, and sometimes
some very specific, practical advice. Here are two items of very practical
advice about what he had learned about how to handle money.
The first is the principle of generosity. Casting
your bread upon the waters is an encouragement to give your money away
generously. The opposite would be to hoard it, to keep it all for yourself. It’s
a decision we must each make for ourselves. We can hoard what we are given, thinking
that is the way to protect ourselves against the uncertainties of the future. Though
that seems like a sound decision, Solomon says the opposite is actually a
better practice. By giving it away, you are putting yourself in a position to receive
back in times of need. It’s the same principle that Paul taught the
Corinthians, “At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so
that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.” (2 Corinthians 8:14)
The second is the principle of
diversification. If you put all your eggs in one basket, if that basket is
upset then all your wealth is destroyed. If you spread it among many baskets,
what happens to one basket will affect only a portion of what you have. You
thought that was a modern principle developed by financial consultants. It’s a
principle from the Bible, discovered and taught by Solomon thousands of years
ago.
The bottom-line is that we can turn to the
Lord and His Word for advice about every aspect of life. God created life and
He knows how it works best.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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