"Profit"

"Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go." Isaiah 48:17

Did you see the word "profit"? That is one of our favorite words. Everybody wants to profit- that's why we make investments, that's why we make certain sacrifices, why we exercise our bodies... we are looking for a profit (to gain something) in return. God is not opposed to our profiting. As a matter of fact, He has given us the key so we can profit.

What's the key? "I am the LORD thy God". The first one is that the Lord has to be your God. If He is your God, then He has first place in your life, and as you seek Him first He will add "all" these things to you--- that's profiting.

Next, "which teacheth thee to profit". If you are going to profit, have any gain or benefit, you are going to have to let Him teach you. You are going to have to become a student in the school of the Spirit. When He teaches you, you are going to have to heed what He says and then be a "doer of the Word" not a "hearer" only.

A profit is not always measured in "dollars and cents". There are so many more ways and areas that we can gain a profit in-- the greatest being a gain in our understanding of and intimacy with the Lord. A gain of spiritual things is more valuable than a gain of material things. Spiritual gain is eternal, not temporary. They don't devalue with the economy. They don't decay with the passing of time. They aren't easily stolen.

I know that God blesses us in the physical rim, but I believe He desires to bless us more with spiritual things. Godliness is of great gain. Righteousness is of great gain. Holiness is of great gain. We are warned that there is no profit in having the whole world if we don't have spiritual gain. We can still have spiritual gain even if we don't have physical gain. On the flip side of that we can have physical gain but yet still not have spiritual gain. Consider the rich man and Lazarus-- which one was actually the profitable one?

Have a great day. There is a profit for those who know the Lord their God-- and it makes us eternally profitable.