As a Christian I’m always trying to look to God’s word in order to learn about how I should be living my life, when it comes to my finances, my personal life and everything in between.
The Bible has a myriad of verses that can give us wisdom about how to deal with our money, and the area of investing is no different.
While this post is about finding Biblical wisdom about investing, it should be made clear up front that we’re told to not put our hopes in wealth and riches, but in God.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17
While we are to put our hope in God, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be planning ahead for the future, saving, investing and diversifying our holdings.
In fact we’re told that these are all wise things to do. So let’s take a look at 30 Bible verses about investing.
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Bible Verses About Getting Good Counsel
It’s important in life, and when you invest, to get good advice from others. Without it your plans are much more likely to fail.
Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 19:2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 28:26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
Proverbs 24:6 For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
Bible Verses About Planning Ahead
The Bible makes it clear that it is wise to work hard and plan ahead for the future. Don’t get caught unaware because you failed to plan ahead. If you plan on retiring from your chosen profession some day, make sure you plan ahead and invest for retirement!
Proverbs 13:16 A wise man thinks ahead; a fool doesn’t, and even brags about it!
Luke 14:28-30 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?”
Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
Proverbs 16: 9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Proverbs 27:23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds.
Proverbs 14:29 He who is impulsive exalts folly
Proverbs 24:27 Prepare your work outside and make it ready for yourself in the field; afterwards, then, build your house.
Bible Verses About Saving & Investing
Saving up for a rainy day, putting your money to work and multiplying it is a wise thing to do.
Proverbs 21:20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.
Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
Matthew 25:14-30 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Genesis 41:34-36 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.
1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
Proverbs 27:12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
Proverbs 30:24-25 Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
Bible Verses About Diversifying
None of us knows what will happen from one day to the next, in our lives – and in the stock market. As a result we are best served by diversifying our holdings to protect ourselves.
James 4:13-15 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
Ecclesiastes 11:2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
Bible Verses About Ethical Investing
When we engage in business and when we invest, we’re called on to be faithful and to deal justly. Invest ethically, and in a way that doesn’t harm others.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.
Proverbs16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than vast revenues without justice.
Leviticus 19:13 You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.
Psalm 112:5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.
Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.
Get Good Advice, Plan Ahead, Save, Diversify And Be Faithful
Here are a few of the things I learned from the verses in this article:
..if riches increase, do not set your heart on them Psalm 62:10
- Get advice from others who know more than you.
- Only a fool doesn’t plan ahead.
- It’s good to save, invest and multiply your holdings.
- Don’t forget to have diverse holdings in order to reduce risk.
- Invest in a way that’s faithful to God’s word, and that doesn’t harm others.
- Don’t rely on money, rely on God.
It’s good to plan ahead and to provide for your family, but don’t allow money to become your ultimate goal. Instead, set your sights on Christ and his example.
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf. Proverbs 11:28
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Have your own verses about saving and investing that you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments!
- What Does The Bible Have To Say About Investing?
- Investigate further with your own free Bible
- Be Careful To NOT Love Money
- The Power of Prayer
“Proverbs 16: 9 In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” I love that bible verse, people are the one who makes their own decision but the Lord is the only one allows and guide us.
Proverbs 13:22 A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
I’m not too sure about Proverbs 13:22b, because how does make the righteous take the sinners’ wealth?
Sorry, I’m replying to myself as there is a grammatical error in my reply.
I meant to say, “How does the Lord cause the righteous to take the sinners’ wealth”.
Remember when the Israelites left the land of Egypt with a lot of spoils? They didn’t leave the land of slavery empty handed:
“And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”
??Exodus? ?12:35-36? ?KJV??
So that’s an example of how the Lord causes the righteous to take the sinners’ wealth.
Why place comments if you screen them from hearing truth?!
Thank you so much for this research and topic! It has helped shape my message for a group at church with whom we will be discussing actions to take to ensure financial health and strength of our church. God richly bless you!
#lovethis
Should a church balance its budget?
Hi Amy,
That is a good question and one that I have heard a number of times from churches and other ministries. To answer, let me pose a few questions.
How do you view your church? I think most folks would view it as a community or more often than not, like a family. If you had folks in your congregation who were struggling financially, would you not counsel them to be better at balancing their budgets in the home? I think the same principle applies here in how we deal with the church’s finances. If you don’t apply sound Biblical financial principles to how you run your church, (balancing budgets, reconciling accounts, checks and balances on who is spending and how much) your church will end up in a bad place financially. If we want to honour God in our ministries, we need to be wise stewards of what He has entrusted to us…
my two cents worth :)
Depends if they want to follow their own thoughts or what the bible says, The bible says to owe no one anything but love. I would not be part of a fellowship that does not commit to make God first, if $ is needed then no debt should be taken the $ should be raised before any building begins, as it would be stealing from others time to not be able to pay them for what is asked of them.
I love the methods of George Muller who following God’s lead built orphan houses for thousands of orphans.
Thxs . I needed to read & my spirit needed to recieve this. Amen & Amen!
Psalm 35:27b …let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. As much as God wants us to record amazing success in our businesses and other of lives endeavor, we must show efforts towards planting and watering our seeds (Efforts, Investments, Planning, Strategies, Learning, etc) as we watch God yield the increase. 1 Cor 3:6
1 Chronicles 28:2-4
21st Century King James Version
2 Then David the king stood up upon his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building.
3 But God said unto me, ‘Thou shalt not build a house for My name, because thou hast been a man of war and hast shed blood.’
What version of the Bible is used here for Proverbs 21:5?
NIV I believe?
Psalm 15:5 “he does not put out his money at interest.”
Does this mean that our modern system of banking/saving should be eschewed?
Psalm 15:5 in the KJV says, “He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” What the Psalmist is talking about here is excessive interest (usury) not just any interest. A righteous man does not exert excessive interest.
Invest in a way that’s faithful to God’s word, and that doesn’t harm others.
I want to run my business selling things which my church doesn’t recognize?
Can clear up my thoughts on this?
The Lord bless you and your family, good advice.
Thank you for researching and sharing.
Good guideline
Why place comments if you screen them from hearing truth
Thank you so much… May God Bless you all…
A bless day to you and thank greatly for sharing these verses the Lord bless me with some money earlier this year and I decided on my own without good counsel to invest in a small business now the business is not doing well enough to sustain itself all the money I had is done and I have to go do a part time job to help pay the bills while still running the business I did pray about it and I felt at the time that’s where the Lord was leading me to do the business has potential but I’m not good at marketing accounting etc I am hands on hard working I feel if I had read thins blog before I would have done things with a bit more biblical wisdom but it’s already done I jus have to move forward now ihav one more year on the lease I wil try all I can within that year to make the business work I believe before reading this I jus felt if u felt lead by the Holy Spirit to do something you jus do it and miraculously everything will work out but after reading this I realize there are practical principles to living even as a child of God I will be reading these verses for quite a while until I get them stuck in my head any advice from you Peter Anderson would be greatly appreciated God bless
Hello. I read your concerns and felt led to comment. God had been teaching me alot anout how to handle finances in my everyday life. What you said about being guided by principles is absolutely correct. However, it is a healthy balance with being les by the holy spirit. Holy spitit’s job is to remind us of all truth therefore, if and when the holy spirit speaks it would go along with those biblical peinciples. The father is with you, do what you can and trust him with the process. jermiah 29:11 says his plan is to prosperoua us and not harm us
I ask God about saving and I was lead to this webpage. The Lord will bless you more upon sharing this article.
The majority of these verses are taken out of context. I’m not against wisely saving money and investing to have more money to advance the kingdom of God, but these are not verses that support this mindset. The only verses that teach this kind of life are verses that tell us to be good stewards of the money that God has blessed us with. We should never forget that it already belongs to God anyways.
Thank you soo much for the search God bless you.
In Psalms 119:105, the Bible says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” As an entrepreneur and soon-to-be investor, I find the list here a good guide in making decisions in the future as well as a source of inspiration to keep me going. And a good reference, too.
Thanks for compiling them. I will bookmark this post.
Thank you for researching and sharing information. I appreciate your hard work. God bless you!
Saving from hard earned money is ok but amassing wealth by wicked ways is sin.
Lay not up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth does corrupt but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven
1 Cor 16:2 talks about laying aside the collections for the saints…this is not investing or saving or personal financial investments, per say.
yes, but you can’t contribute to such collections without or you may contribute more if you have money as a result of great personal financial investments. Matt. 25:14-30 is encouraging us to invest for Gods glory.
Thank you very much and may God bless you.
Thank you so much for these verses ! Very useful ! Be blessed !
Life is good when you know God
Just enjoy reading this.. thank you
Luke 14:28-30… David had to much blood on his hands to build God’s Tower. It had nothing to do with having enough to complete the building of the Tower.
Why no reference to WHAT translation used? I need to site my scholarly scripture references.
Sorry, I suppose that could be helpful to have. Typically they’re usually going to be NIV, ESV or sometimes King James. If it doesn’t say and you’re not sure you can copy the verse, search it on Google and the result should come up with what translation it is. Thanks!
I am still on the fence about investing. The Bible verses don’t specifically mention investing, only being good stewards of what you have earned by your own work. Profiting off someone else’s work seems wrong somehow. How did the servants in the parable increase their money? Maybe they bought something and sold at a profit. We don’t know that they invested the money. I guess we have to have peace about it which I don’t.