January 12 | Bible in a Year: Genesis 29–30; Matthew 9:1–17

A Risky Investment

I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field. Jeremiah 32:8–9

READ Jeremiah 32:6–15

The BBC’s Dragon’s Den has aired some unusual ideas on over the years. Such as the Easyxchair—an armchair that doubles as a gym! Yet the programme has also featured investment opportunities that seemed risky but turned out to be excellent. Some years back, for instance, the investors rejected one hopeful, saying: “The public don’t want to order a takeaway online.” Yet today that’s the main way people get take-out.

God told Jeremiah to make what seemed like a foolish investment: “Buy [the] field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin” (Jeremiah 32:8). This was no time to be buying fields, however; the country was on the verge of being ransacked. “The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem” (v. 2), and whatever field Jeremiah purchased would soon be Babylon’s.

Yet God intended a future no one else could envision: “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land” (v. 15). God saw more than ruins and desolation. Instead, God promised a future of restoration.

At times we may discern God leading us to make what feels like a risky investment. When we’ve tested what we sense is from God, we can trust that He can bring about remarkable transformations. Our obedience can reflect the gift of God’s eternal investment in us—and the redemption to come (v. 15).

By Chris Wale

How might God be calling you to invest in someone or something? Who can you ask to help you discern God’s leading?

God, it’s a good thing You see the future because sometimes all I see is ruin and disaster. Show me where to go and how to give myself, for Your glory.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

One of the main features in the book of Jeremiah is that the prophet primarily records the message God is giving directly to His people. This was the main role of a prophet, for prophets stood before the people to represent God and His purposes to the nation. In Jeremiah’s writings, this is clearly evidenced in that the phrase “thus saith the Lord” (KJV) appears no fewer than 147 times in this book! That’s 147 of the 431 times that phrase appears in the entire Old Testament. Clearly, Jeremiah was committed to communicating God’s message to His people.