Buy And Hold
Proverbs 23:23 NASB
Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
There are certain stocks where the advice is buy and hold. Years ago, buy and hold would have been a great idea for Apple stock. One thousand dollars of Apple stock bought on August 23, 2006, would be worth approximately 153,000 dollars today. I know, I know, would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.
But there are investments that you can buy and hold today that will have value for today and value twenty years from now. And will still hold value for the next life. And the initial cost is only an investment of time. Truth and wisdom and instruction are all available from God’s Word. Now all we have to add is the time and the implementation to put God’s Word into practice.
Jesus told His followers that if they continued in His Word, they would know the truth and the truth would make them free. People often quote that the truth will make you free. But it’s the truth you know that makes you free. In other words, we have to apply the truth to our lives. For example, the truth that Jesus has paid the price for our salvation is available, but that truth has to be acted on to have value in our lives. We have to receive Jesus personally, not just know that He paid the price.
And the good news is that as we gain more truth, wisdom, and instruction, the more it impacts our lives and the more truth and wisdom we see. As someone who has walked with the Lord now for almost forty-five years, holding onto God’s truth and wisdom has enriched my life and continues to pay big dividends. My mental health and attitude have been greatly enhanced. My relationships have improved dramatically. Joy even admits I am a pleasure to live with, and that wasn’t always the case. But holding onto the truth and not selling it out when it wasn’t convenient allows us to engage with God’s wisdom that works. Getting older doesn’t necessarily mean getting wiser and kinder; that’s a function of God’s truth and wisdom.
I wish I had purchased Apple stock twenty years ago. But I am so glad that I did buy the truth, as it has continued to pay off in my life and the lives of people in my world.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your word of truth and for the Spirit of truth who lives in me. Your truth and wisdom have made a bigger difference in my life than money ever could.