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"Disappointing Investments"
Isaiah 55:1-2

Listen to the audio broadcast!
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?p=pnm&f=/rhm/sounds/awwy/awwy5047.rm

It's late at night. I have finally made it to my hotel room. It's been a long day, I want a midnight snack; or at least a can of soda. As I step outside my room, I hear the "whirr" of vending machines just down the hall. I stand in front of that thing, pondering my hardest decision of the day. Then I put my money in and push the button. Usually, I get what I just paid for, but not always. Sometimes, nothing comes. I push the button again - and again. Not only do I not get my selection, but the coin return isn't working either. Those most frustrating times of all are when you're desperate enough to try again, and maybe again, putting in your money - getting nothing in return.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Disappointing Investments."

That vending machine turns out to be an investment with no return. You may have made financial investments like that, where you put a lot in, but you got very little back. Or you may have invested very heavily in a relationship, or even several relationships, only to be disappointed with the return.

There are people who have invested heavily in a marriage and they've ended up with little to show for all they gave. You may be one of them. We invest so much of our life in our children, sometimes to be disappointed with the return in their lives. All we gave to be successful, all we poured into what we thought would give us security or approval, so many times we keep putting more and more into it, hoping it will finally pay off. But for many, it's loneliness that's come back, or stress, or hurt, or regrets over all we paid for so little.

Our word for today from the Word of God is for all of us who have made some disappointing life investments. In Isaiah 55:1-2, God says, "Come, all you who are thirsty and come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

God's offer is simple, "Come to Me and I will give you what all your searching and all your spending has never delivered, and I'll give it to you without cost." The reason none of our earth-investments have been able to satisfy the thirst in our heart is because we've been trying to get from them what we were supposed to get from a personal relationship with our Creator - which we have totally missed.

In Isaiah, that same book of the Bible, God says, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) No one but the God who made you can fill the hole in your heart. Your sin has cut you off from Him, but God did something amazing to get you back. He invested His greatest treasure: His one and only Son.

The Bible tells us that in heaven, they are saying to Jesus: "With Your blood You purchased men for God." (Revelation 5:9) That's what Jesus invested in you: His blood; His life when He took on Himself all the shame and all the hell of all your sin when He died on the cross. That's why you accept God's invitation "without cost" because all your goodness and all your religion can't do a thing to remove your sin or get you into heaven. Only Jesus can. Only He paid the price.

And today, you have the opportunity to receive what you could never buy - eternal life and a love relationship with Almighty God. It begins when you tell Him, "Lord, I want what You died to give me. I have no hope but You and Your death on the cross for me. The door is open. Please come in."

The day I made that choice, someone was there to help me know how to get started with Jesus. I'd love to be that person for you today, if you'll just go to our website and read or listen to my brief message there on beginning a relationship with Jesus. Just go to yoursforlife.net. Or you can call us for the Yours For Life booklet at 870-741-1200.

There have been so many disappointing investments - so many things that could not do for you what only God could do. Jesus died for you. He will never disappoint you.

If you're not sure you belong to Jesus, and you would like to make sure today, Ron would like to send to you a free copy of the booklet, "Yours for Life: How to Have Life's Most Important Relationship." To read it online, click here:
http://www.yoursforlife.net/

OR, to request your free copy of "Yours for Life," click here:
http://rhm.gospelcom.net/yours/yflorder.html

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To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit YOURS FOR LIFE: HOW TO HAVE LIFE'S MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP at:
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Or, call 1-888-NEED HIM.

"A Word With You" by Ron Hutchcraft is a daily radio challenge, with slice-of-life illustrations and insights - providing practical help on the issues that matter most. If your local Christian radio station does not air "A Word With You," please let them know how much you value this program. Over six years of transcripts are available online, at http://rhm.gospelcom.net/awwy.php
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