What's in your future?

Ben Franklin died on April 17, 1790.  Five years prior, at age 79, Franklin gave about $4,400 at the time, or about $55,000 in 2011 dollars each to his native Boston and his adopted Philadelphia, in trust to gather interest for 200 years.
200 years later in 1990, more than $2,000,000 had accumulated in Franklin's Philadelphia trust, which had loaned the money to local residents. From 1940 to 1990, the money was used mostly for mortgage loans.  When the trust came due, Philadelphia decided to spend it on scholarships for local high school students.

Franklin's Boston trust fund accumulated almost $5,000,000 during that same time; at the end of its first 100 years a portion was allocated to help establish a trade school that became the Franklin Institute of Boston and the whole fund was later dedicated to supporting this institute.

Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 25, reserved some of his most severe criticism for people who, through fear, would not look responsibly into the future.  One of the servants in this parable would not even put the extra money he was given in the bank to earn nominal interest.  Yet, Jesus commended the other two for acting in faith and doubling their money through wise investment.  He rewarded them by giving them more. 

I am inspired and challenged by Franklin’s foresight and that of these two servants.  It has caused me to take a serious look at what God has given me today and search for wise investment opportunities of my time, abilities, and resources.  My prayer is that what I (and you) choose to entrust will grow over time under the watchful eye of Providence and bring exponential profit to others beyond even this life.