FIRM FOUNDATION
- RTGW
- Aug 2, 2022
- 3 min read
Invest in kingdom things to build a firm foundation that will stand the test of time and weather all storms we WILL encounter. Please note that I use the word “will” and not “if.” There is no doubt that we will experience peaks and valleys. Those peaks and valleys will come with trials and tribulations. Or, in other words, tests and states of trouble or suffering—and that’s okay! Actually, it’s pretty great stuff when we reflect and realize how we got out of those valleys and survived to pray another day and reach another mountain top.
So it’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when our foundation will be tested. But the beauty actually lies in our foundation. That foundation is God, our Father, who art in Heaven. The name above all names that nothing can stand against. That’s a verse from a song I heard at church this morning. The foundation of this article comes from various moments from today’s services on July 17th, 2022. Who’d of thunk it? Well, I guess it’s not so surprising since all things good come from God and his wondrous works that never cease.
As you may know by now, our business is focused on investing. This applies to internal and external investments, with our goal being to help you in your investment journey. It is my responsibility to cover the internal/spiritual lessons and testimony to help guide and inspire long-term success. We stress a balanced spiritual portfolio with a strong foundation that is focused on biblical principles and scripture.
Now, if you were to dive into our financial portfolio, you would see we are very aggressive with a good amount of risk. But, we have “put in work” to pick high-growth companies we believe in. This year we are getting hammered in our financial portfolios, but as investors, we draw patience from our spiritual portfolio—which creates positive returns daily—and keep moving forward.
Now here is the beauty of it all. Every day is good, but some days are better. Some days have more headwinds, and others have more tailwinds, but all days have God’s perfect mix of both. And during these challenging days filled with adversity, one thing we know for certain is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. With our focus on a firm foundation, I would like to unpack a verse from Joshua 1:5 in the Old Testament, which I'll provide below—the King James and the New King James versions.
"No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." (NKJV Bible, Joshua 1.5)
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (KJV Bible, Joshua 1.5)
Our God, our firm foundation, lets us know from jump street and with no uncertainty that no man will be able to stand before us in our journey to fulfill God's will. "Thy will be done." He had Moses covered, and He will have us covered forever and ever—Amen! Pretty straightforward. Then, in the New King James Version, He promises to not "leave" us. If we look to the original KJV instead, we'll note that instead of "leave," we have the word "fail." I think this gives us a more detailed meaning. In other words: He will not behave in a way contrary to hope or expectations by not doing something; He won't desert or let us down; He won't be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal. And finally, we have "forsake." He's letting us know He will not abandon or give up on us. Renounce is also used to define forsake, granting us a deeper understanding. It lets us know that He will not reject and stop using us or declare He will no longer engage in or support us.
The Old Testament is the Foundation of the entire Bible. The Old Testament is God's promises concealed, and the New Testament is God's promises revealed. Both old and new are necessary when building our spiritual portfolios. Putting in work by studying the Bible is a great way to strengthen our relationship with God by developing a better understanding of His desires and our need to grow closer to Him.
Happy investing, and be blessable.
Larry