Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:8-9 Here is the request of a wise man. It is a very wise request because it deals in two things that will derail a life that is seeking to be guided by God. It deals with deception and greed. As you seek to walk through this world in a way that pleases and honors God - you will find that these two things are snares that often will seek to trip your feet and make you stumble. The man who watches for them - and cries out for God to deliver him from them - is wise indeed. His first request deals with deception. He cries out to God to keep deception and lies far from him. If we are going to live a godly life, we are going to have to have truth. The wise man has come to know that there is an absolue truth that God gives in His Word. He will cling to it. Jesus prayed for His disciples, "Santify them in the truth. Your Word is truth." If we are going to be purified and preserved in this life - it will be because God has kept us from deception and lies. There is one sure cure for lies - and it is the truth. Why should we be in God's Word every day? Why should it dwell richly within us? Why should we hide that Word in our hearts? It is so that we know the truth - because it is only that truth that will set us free. The most secure prison in the world is nothing compared to a man who enslaves himself by believing lies and deception. The wise man's second request has to deal with the sin of greed. The best way to describe the danger of greed is by sharing the answer of a man who was very wealthy. He was asked how much money it would take for him to be content. His answer was telling because it did not refer to a specific, fixed amount. He sad, "Just a little more." There is the danger of greed. No amount is enough because we will be deceived into thinking that a little more will give us the illusive happiness that we seek from money. Our problem is that we were not made for money. Elsewhere in Scripture we are warned that when we set our eyes on wealth - it takes wings and flies to the heavens - always just a little beyond our reach. This pursuit will take forever - and will never end in contentment. The truth is that we were made for God - and until we find our contentment in Him - we will never be truly content. The writer of Proverbs cries out and asks for neither poverty or riches. He knows that both of those situations leaves him in want. Poverty in a want for enough - and riches in a want for just a little more. What he asks for is the food that is his portion. Ah, a wise man he is indeed. His words parallel those of Jesus in His teaching on prayer. "Give us THIS DAY our DAILY BREAD!" There is wisdom - give me what I need today - and keep me in need of only one thing constantly. Keep me constantly needing You, Lord! That is the prayer of the wise man. Next the wise man states why this request for enough for today is truly wisdom. First, he knows that too often the rich man thinks he does not need God. He looks to his riches and foolish thinks he does not need God. Such was the case for the rich farmer in the parable of the rich fool told by our Lord. He thought his bumper crop meant that he was set for life. His problem though was that he was not set for death. God came to him and called him a fool. That night he was to die - and he would suddenly have nothing. All his wealth was left behind - and since he did not prepare to meet God - he faced a horrific fate. He was about to enter into eternal poverty - having decided that storing up treasures in heaven was not a worthy pursuit. Here on earth his riches deceived him into thinking, "Who is the Lord?" The answer to that question is one that does not need to be put off until after death. It needs to be answered here and now - because the one who puts it off - or ignores it altogether - will spend all eternity in a poverty that will consume his flesh with fire forever and ever as the smoke of his torment will never cease to rise in an epitaph revealing his eternal stupidity. The second reason he asks God for enough is because he knows that hunger may deceive a man into thinking that stealing is a way of getting enough. Want often leads men to profane God's name by their thievery. They steal thinking that God has not provided and therefore they need to take things into their own hands. Here is a wise man - praying. He seeks God for what is necessary for that day. He also knows that the best thing for him is to have to do this each and every day. His stomach may be full - and possibly can be provided for well into the future. But - he knows that his need of the Lord will never subside. He needs God continuously. May it be the wisdom of that need that guides us to our knees daily to ask for God's mercy and grace to deliver us from the twin foes of deception and greed.
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Ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 10:2
What is true treasure? When I think about this I go back to my childhood memories of the book Treasure Island. My mind thinks of pirates and those who ride the high seas in search of that most illusive of all things - buried treasure. I consider the intrigue and the hidden motives and betrayals that await me as I read of a journey based upon a tattered treasure map. The air is heavy with excitement as the first shovel of dirt and sand is lifted on the very spot where the X is on the map. That excitement reaches fever pitch as the shovel thuds for the very first time on the chest itself. Solomon tells us about a kind of treasure in this proverb. The phrase "ill-gotten gains," is actually the Hebrew phrase, "The treasures of wickedness." So we find that there are treasures that no matter how much they say they are worth - are actually worthless. When we seek our treasures here on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal, we are only gathering up the treasures of wickedness. In fact, unless we are locating the X on God's map - the gospel of Jesus Christ - everything we think is true treasure is only a chest filled with filthy rags. Let me explain further. Solomon tells us in the second half of this proverb, "but righteousness delivers from death." What a powerful phrase he has just uttered. What a prophetic phrase it is as well. Any treasure that cannot deliver us from death is not a treasure at all. This is where we begin to see there is only one treasure that we should desire. The Scriptures say some interesting things about this Treasure. Jesus asked the question, 'What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?' (Matthew 16:26) There is an interesting question. What will you give in exchange for your soul? What amount of money or earthly treasure will pay the price for our souls? The psalmist answers that question when he says, 'No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him—For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever.' (Psalm 49:7-8) There is NO price in human terms that will ever be able to buy our souls. The problem is not with a financial price, it is with the currency that must be paid for our souls. Our problem is that the price tag is blood - blood of an holy sacrifice offered to God. The price is the blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He paid the final and ONLY acceptable price for our souls. When he gave up His Spirit on the cross His final cry was, "Tetelestai!" That is a financial term meaning, "Paid in full!" The cost for our souls is perfect righteousness. We must be absolutely holy and pure to come into God's presence. Any sin would merit His full wrath being poured out upon us. Coming into His presence without this righteousness would be as foolish as Nadab and Abihu's approach to God in Exodus. Their entrance without righteousness resulted in them being consumed by the fire of God instantly. Considering the fact that God tells us in His Word that all our righteousness is like filthy rags - we quickly see that we are in need of a righteousness that will stand before God. Praise the Lord, God provided that righteousness Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He came and fulfilled the Law. He came and lived a perfect life absolutely keeping all God's commandments and precepts. Then He took our sin upon Himself and paid the horrific penalty of God's wrath. Through His death, burial, and resurrecton God now forgives our sin and gives us the glorious exchange - His righteousness for our sin. By the grace of God we have been justified by God. Justified means, "declared righteous." As a result of being justified/declared righteous we can now stand before God - not in our own righteousness, but clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This is the "righteousness that delivers from death." All the treasures of all the ages piled as high as the heavens amount to nothing before our holy God. Added together they still amount to a sum of the "treasures of wickedness." All the achievements of all the people who have worked to attain them mean nothing in light of our sin. None of these things profit us - or have profited any son of Adam. What we need is the "righteousness that delivers from death." That righteousness was provided by God Himself. It is only attained when we receive it as a gift by the grace of God. It comes only through Jesus Christ. In light of these undisputable Biblical facts there is then only one question to be answered. Are you trusting in the treasures of wickedness to deliver your soul from death - or - are you trusting in Jesus Christ. Only He has the righteousness that delivers from death. Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. Proverbs 28:6
Integrity and honor are character traits that are of high value in the kingdom of God. They make a person very wealthy even though at the time they may not have a fantastic financial bottom line. When someone is varying between two stances - which is what this passage called being "crooked," they can have all the money in the world and still be seen as far less successful than the poor man who lives a godly life. God's way of valuing things and people is far different than that of the world. The word "crooked" is very interesting. The literal Hebrew means, "perverse in two ways." What this describes is someone who is going back and forth between two opinions and two views. According to the Theological Wordbook of the OT this term refers to the twisted and perverting nature of sin. The word was also used to describe how a woman twists her hair for the purpose of putting it in braids. Thus the word came to mean the way that people twist their ways and choices contrary to what God commands and desires. The word is used to describe the way rulers "twist everything that is straight" (Micah 3:9). In a similar Proverb about the need for integrity, this same word is used to describe how fools are perverse in their speech. Too often the rich think they are beyond the law - or above it because of the influence their money buys in this world. I have several friends who are police officers who have told me again and again that they have far more trouble out of rich people they pull over for speeding than from any other group. They are told that they should give the rich person a warning or nothing at all because of all the people they know in City Hall. They try to throw their influence around to intimidate my friends in law enforcement into ignoring the law - or might we say perverting it. They want my friends to act crookedly. These guys write them tickets seeking to enforce the law - only to have them ignored by those in power when they come to court. Too many of the rich make the mistake of placing their hope in riches and what they provide in this world - rather than in God and the hope of His reward in eternity. I say this not to absolve the poor of integrity issues - because the problem is not money - it is the love of money. I've seen the love of money in every financial category there is. The warning here is to run after integrity and honor - and not allow money to make us think that these things don't matter as long as you are well off financially. Just an aside here for our mutual benefit. I've heard a saying again and again that grieves my heart. Here is the saying, "Money may not be able to make you happy, but it makes your misery much more bearable." Those who say that are truly deceived. They think that a few years of less miserable riches are worth trading for all of eternity. God does not countenance such foolishness. They are truly deceived because they do not understand that their momentary happiness in their wealth and stuff will actually make their judgment more severe. The Scriptures tell us, "To whom much is given, much is required." Whatever brief comfort they find in their things and their wealth will be infinitely offset by the searing judgment that awaits them for loving the world and therefore not having the love of the Father in them. Again - that was for free - because I'm tired of fools sounding wise to this world when they are only multiplying their foolishness for a judgment that awaits them at the throne of God. True wisdom is seeing the end, in this case eternity, and making sound decisions with God's ways in view. The poor man walks differently here because he walks in his integrity. The word "walk" is the Hebrew word "halak" which means to come and go, or to walk about. It was a word that was used to describe a flowing river, the blowing of the wind, and the movement of animals of all kinds. It was therefore used to metaphorically speak of the pathways of one's life - and came to mean the lifestyle that one chooses. This poor, wise man has chosen to walk out his life using God's wisdom as his guide. The best way to describe this integrity that the poor, wise man chooses is to walk with all of our heart in the things of the Lord. The word here for integrity was used to describe the way that men like David and Job spoke of walking with a perfect heart. This did not mean these men were sinless - just that they did not want to waver between two opinions and two ways of living. They wanted to live for the Lord with all their heart - all the time. There is something that God values greatly in this world. But what God values and what men value are two entirely different things. This world does not value living for God and His ways with a whole heart. They might give an honorable mention to the occasional religious person who they admire for a few moments because of their devotion to God, but they do not see this as a way of living for all men. They live for the things of the world - and chase after them with all their heart. But what is highly valued by men of this world is despised by the Lord. He is looking for men whose heart is completely given to Him. How much better it is to be one of these men - regardless of their financial bottom line. It is far better to be that kind of a man and poor - than to be the richest man on earth and only enjoy it for the mere length of a breath - which is how God describes this life in comparison with eternity. The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave.
Proverbs 22:7 Proverbs is an interesting book in that it is presenting wisdom to us. But as we read it there are times when we struggle with what is being said. Here we read about how the rich rules over the poor - and we wonder about the wisdom of this statement. But before we make the fatal mistake of questioning an all-wise God, let's take a moment to look at this proverb without the liability of the class warfare that has too often been used to color our thinking about such things. The rich does rule over the poor. This is too the advantage of both if they are wise in how they conduct themselves. The rich often become that way because they have learned how to manage things and deal with them so that they are profitable. These sound like the kind of skills needed to be a leader. Solomon is saying that this is the case - that the ones who rule over others are usually those who have worked hard to accomplish something. Ones who have used their abilities to manage and accumulate wealth and influence. that influence naturally puts them in a position to exercise even greater influence over a larger and larger number of people. For those who are offended that the Bible speaks of the rich ruling over the poor also need to consider the things the Bible says to protect the poor. God has said numerous things to make it clear that He bring judgment upon the man who oppresses the poor. He warns the rich again and again not to put their hope in riches. He also warns about how riches can deceive a man and destroy him if he decides to pursue wealth about pursuing the things of God. God may say that the rich rules over the poor - but He does not in any way condone the rich abusing the poor. In fact, God promises that He will rise up to defend the poor and needy. The second thing we learn from this passage is the dangers and evils of living on borrowed money. We learn that the borrower becomes the lender's slave. When I read this statement I remember the rendition of a Disney song that goes, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go." The borrower owns the lender - or at least he owns whatever was purchased with loans until they are completely paid off. Things become worse for the one who owes an exorbitant amount to the lender. More and more interest is charged the larger the amount - and the worker suddenly is working to pay off the interest without even touching the loan amount itself. Then the borrower becomes the lender's slave. He will never get out of debt and spends a lifetime paying for something he will never own. When I read this particular proverb I fear for our nation. We are no longer a lender nation - but a debtor one. Our leadership on both sides of the aisle have mortgaged our future trying to buy our votes. The sick reality of our situation is that they've bought our votes promising things they've bought with our money as they enact more and more confiscatory tax policies. Thus we've been bought using our own money - and those who have used it have done so to further enslave us to government programs and promises to save us. In the end, this house of cards will come crashing to the ground. Our greed to become rich with loans will come home to roost as our currency and our economy become worthless. The wise man does not seek riches through becoming a lender's slave. Instead he uses industry, sacrifice, and saving to purchase what he wants - and greater wisdom to have what he has saved be used to increase his ability to earn more. And if he is truly wise, he will use the wealth God has given him the ability to earn to bless others. He will not allow riches to use him, he will use riches to bring glory to God. Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. Proverbs 16:8
One of the things that personally grieves me as a pastor and as a believer is the focus of the health, wealth, and prosperity movement. Their focus is too often on how God wants us to be rich and wealthy - and too little on how God wants to make us holy and His above all things. This particular proverb let us know that a little with righteousness is something to be desired. It is better to have just a little if we have God's righteousness. This statement is not glorifying being poor. It is saying that if the choice is between having a little and God's ways - or having a lot and injustice and ungodliness - the choice for little is far better. The "little" mentioned here is just that - a small amount. But the righteousness speaks of doing righteous acts and deeds. It refers to the possibility that doing the right thing might even cost us. But if it does - it is better to embrace God's ways and doing right than to have the wealth and prosperity that might come if we set God's ways aside. To have great income, yet to have injustice, is a mistake of monumental proportions. There are too many who sell their souls to make a buck. There are even more who do this if a large amount of money is involved. But there is no amount of money on earth that merits selling your integrity and your godliness. Some would not even think of selling themselves if it is a little money - but would seriously consider it if the amount would make them rich. But think of this before you consider doing this. A prostitute is a prostitute whether she sells herself for a little or for a million dollars. The fact that she would sell her purity and be a prostitute is the key fact - all else is just a matter of setting the price. When we sell our integrity for any amount, we simply prove that we are not people of integrity and honor. After that fact has been established everything afterward is simply negotiating the price. Hold fast to the Lord - and to your integrity as a believer. There is nothing worth selling out that one wonderful thing. Realize that there is no asking price for who you truly are. To do so would be to infinitely cheapen something that cannot be regained once you give it up for something. Therefore - even if you have to be poor as a result - keep your integrity and a righteous direction in life. There is a wealth that consists of integrity and honor that no amount of moeny on earth will ever restore or merit. There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth. Proverbs 13:7
Here is one of the stranger verses in all of Proverbs. Here we see two different people - one pretending to be rich, yet having nothing, and another pretending poverty, yet rich. Are we dealing with hypocrisy in these two individuals, or are we dealing rather with something else? The word "pretend" here is very important to understand. The actual statement made here is that one is "making himself rich" and it refers to someone who spends all their time pursuing and running after being wealthy. The opposite saying here makes it clear that another pursues poverty - or pursues being poor. The idea is not of hypocrisy, but rather what they are pursuing in life. One pursues riches and the other poverty. Therefore what we have here is a commentary on the true state of these two individuals. First we have the man who is pursuing riches. What seems to be said here is that he not only pursues wealth, but he is achieiving it as well. He is making himself rich. The problem here is that God's commentary on this man is that this man has nothing. His bank account would militate against this statement, but a man's earthly bank account does not measure true wealth in the sight of God. There are other far more important measurements that truly let us know of a man's worth and value. The New Testament warns against wealth, telling us that when we fix our hearts upon wealth, that it sprouts wings and flies away. We read that those who pursue wealth and love it - will have problems, being pierced through with many a desire. Jesus speaks of the rich farmer as a fool because he focuses only on his wealth and not on the fact that his soul is going to be required of him the very night he thinks he has "made it" in this world. Biblically, a rich man who is centered on his riches has nothing. So, what we learn from this proverb is that it is the fool who is so focused on his riches. The rest of the proverb is equally as instructive to us. We learn that another man pursues poverty, yet he has great riches. How does a man "pursue poverty"? The answer to that statement is found in the beattitudes of Jesus. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We pursue poverty by pursuing the truth of our own spiritual condition before God. The truth about our condition is that we are bankrupt spiritually. We have nothing of any real value - because we are in our sins and under the wrath of God. When we make ourselves poor - and embrace our spiritual poverty - coming to Jesus Christ for the only true riches - then we do have great riches. We receive that wonderful acrostic of GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense. A truly wise man does not pursue the riches of this world. He knows that they are only temporary. They are like the grass of the field that is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow. He knows that the grass fades and the flower of this world falls off - but that the Word of our Lord abides forever. The wise man knows that a man's soul is costly, and that the price for it cannot be paid in the currency of this present world. The only currency acceptable in the sight of God is the blood of Christ shed for our sins. Thus the truly wise man seeks after Christ - receives His grace - and lives to be poor in this world's estimation, while pursuing the true riches that last for eternity. Great wealth is in the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked. Proverbs 15:6
There are those who take verses like this and use them to promise riches and possessions to those who walk with God. They are also used to speak judgment and condemnation on those who are poor and needy. If that were the case, then Jesus should have been the richest man who ever walked on the earth. Yet Jesus Himself said that He had no place to lay His head - and He was ultimately betrayed by a disciple who saw that Jesus' kingdom was not going to be of this world - or at least consisting of this world's goods. There is a prosperity that comes from Godly circumspect religion though. It comes from being wise with money - and from knowing the blessing of God in financial endeavors. There is great wealth in the house of many of those who use right principles in dealing with money. Proverbs itself is filled with excellent financial counsel, which, if followed, would ensure blessing on those who heed it. The true wealth, though, of the righteous is in things that cannot be stored in a bank or lock box. These things consist of forgiveness, joy, peace, and love. They come when we choose to walk consistently in God's ways and adhere to the paths into which His Spirit guides us. To the one who does NOT have them - they are utterly invaluable. Many a rich, ungodly man would give his entire fortune for these things - but usually only later in life. This wealth is even more wonderful than earthly riches because moth and rust cannot corrupt nor thieves break in and steal them. They will last forever - and they are the true currency of heaven. To spend a lifetime building up a treasure of this kind is to be rich indeed. To live without them is to know nothing but poverty of spirit here and now - and damnation throughout eternity. The income of the wicked is often desired by those in this world. Occasionally, as we see in Psalm 73, even the godly at times wish for a life without trouble and hardship. They wish for a life bathed in butter and human delicacies. This longing stops though, when we see that their income is filled with trouble. Their riches come with problems. First there is the trouble of keeping what you've already got when the world desires it too. Men stay up late and rise early to protect their income - they lose sleep trying to keep what they have. There is also trouble in getting such income. Too often riches are gained to the damage of those who get them. They resort to ungodly tactics and ungodly ways to garner more and more wealth for themselves. In the end - the trouble they face is trouble from two sources. First there is those whom they have cheated. Leaders like Sadaam Hussein lived a life of opulent luxury most of their days - but in the end - those whom he cheated and stole from hated him fiercely. He wound up hiding in a hole - and hanging from the end of a rope - as crowds ultimately cheered his execution. Biblically, Haman had it all - but in the end lost it all when his greed and hatred caused him great trouble. The last we see of the great and wealthy Haman is him escorted from the king's presence with a black bag over his head. In the end . . . his wealth was used to construct a gallows from which he himself hung. There is certainly trouble when those whom we have hurt and bilked come for their revenge. But there is a great trouble awaiting the wicked rich. Scripture speaks of a wealthy farmer who thought life consisted of his possessions. Trying to keep a bumper crop as his crowning achievement led to God's final sentence upon him. God considered him a fool. He thought his life consisted only of his wealth and goods. Yet the true riches were knowing God and being prepared to face Him on the day of judgment. "You fool!" was the way God addressed this wicked, rich man on the eve of his death. "Today your soul is required of you - and what is going to become of all your wealth." The only term accurate to his situation was the term, "fool." Live for true riches and you will be wise. Live for the wealth that comes from knowing, loving, and obeying God. Nothing else matters when you leave this world and enter into eternity. The wealth of the righteous will be stored up for them in heaven all their days. It will never pass away. But the troublesome income of the wicked . . . it will burn them like fire all their days. It will be part of the everlasting trouble that will afflict their souls for all eternity. A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth. Proverbs 29:3
We see again the correlation between wisdom and the relationship between a father and a son. Here we see that the father has taught his son well to avoid the company of harlots. Truly he has a wise father if he has taught his son this. I once talked to a campus minister who worked with young men and asked him what one thing did more to derail the process of discipleship. He did not even pause in answering me. His words reverberated in my soul - and still remain there. He said, "When they get involved with the wrong kind of girl." If we love wisdom, we will know that the wrong relationship with a woman can be devastating to us. The first 9 chapters of Proverbs warns us again and again of this trap. When we love wisdom, we are one who listens to these warnings and heeds them. We avoid those kind of relationships and steer clear of any kind of involvement with a woman that would rob us of our ability to think, to reason, and to make wise decisions. We love seeing things from God's perspective - and seeing things this way helps us to deal with our sexuality without being burned. Our sexuality is a gift from God Himself - and is only to be given to our wives. Ladies, the same is true for you - your sexuality is a gift from your heavenly Father - and is only to be given to your husband. When a man begins to "keep company" with harlots, he is evidencing that he is a fool. One of the reasons loose women hang around a man is so that he will spend his money on them. He will do so in large amounts because the more he spends on this loose woman, the looser she will become with him. The fool may think that she really likes him - or that she truly thinks he is her man - but all that will go away as soon as the money runs out. In the end, he has lost something he will not regain in his sexual purity - but he will also lose large amounts of money in the process. If he is foolish enough to do this when he is married - and follow a harlot into adultery, divorce, and remarriage - he'll even lose more money when it is all over. We've seen this again and again in the world - when rich men marry young women who throw themselves at them. When the woman has stayed long enough to get a lot of his money and wants to move on - she cleans him out in the divorce settlement. The fool does not love wisdom - he loves his immorality. He loves that his money can buy him illicit relationships (note I did not say love, because whatever he has gotten - it isn't love). But the fool and his money are soon departed. If he is wise, he will have learned from the situation - but most don't - as evidenced by their next relationship with another woman after the same thing. The fool never learns. That is why it is such a delight to have a son who loves wisdom - and - who knows the pitfalls of his sexuality when it takes over and turns him into little more than a moron. The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat. Proverbs 13:4
The sluggard is always wanting and never getting. His life is a series of desires and cravings for everything under the sun. He craves and speaks of all the things he wants - but does nothing to actually obtain them. If someone gives them to him he is happy for a moment or two. That happiness is soon replaced with another craving, though, and he returns to his world of constantly wanting something else. In all his wanting though, he never lifts himself up to the level of work and labor. These things would open his life up to actually seeing things happen. He is lazy and undisciplined and therefore he never attains to things. The proverb tells us that he gets nothing. His hands are always empty - first they are empty of work and labor - and in the end they are empty of any real productivity and products. He is a sad soul - doubly empty. The soul of the diligent man is fat. He works hard and labors diligently at the things he wants. He allows desire to prod him to work and labor. Thus his desires and wants become more than just a craving that taunts him. He uses those desires to spur him to action - first action of the mind - and then action of life. He works hard - and at the end of the day has something to show for it. If not his actual goals - he has the satisfaction that he is one day closer to seeing them realized. Along the way his soul gets fatter. His mind is filled with thought of how to do things better, quicker, with greater quality and skill. Along the way his will is set to do what is before him. Along the way his emotions are kept in check - not dominating his life with unmet cravings and the whirlwhind of emotions they bring - but with excitment about what is coming as his work yields true rewards. Even before he gets what he is working for - his soul remains fat with the good things that come from hard work and industry. One craves and is wracked by the unmet cries of his cravings. He is starving to death physically, emotionally, and mentally as he has nothing to show for doing nothing. The other is working toward something good - and all along the way good comes to him. It is far better to be working toward something than to be only craving what you will never get. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 11:4
If you asked most people if they would rather have riches or righteousness - most likely most would answer that they would like riches. That is due to two facts. First it is due to the fact that mankind is lost and ignorant of their true position before God. Second, it is due to the fact that the rich man in the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man - has not yet had his message broadcast to the world as he would have wanted. Proverbs tells us that riches do not profit us in the day of wrath. If riches are all that we have - we are seriously in trouble. Note that we read here of the day of wrath. This refers to the day that God releases His wrath on those who have rejected His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That will be a sobering day indeed for the rich. They have stored up their wealth when they should have used it for the glory of God and the advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. On that day, their riches will mean nothing. Honored on earth among men - riches are despised in heaven - unless they have been used for the glory of God. Two men would love to testify to this fact. The first is the rich man who did nothing to alleviate the pain and suffering of a poor beggar named Lazarus. He lay at the rich man's gate, his only ministers dogs that licked his sores. HE longed to be fed with the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. He received nothing from him. On the day of God's wrath - the rich man was cast into hell and Lazarus was taken into Abraham's bossom - to await the day he would be taken to heaven. The rich man - suffering miserably - asked that someone be sent to tell his brothers of this place. He knew that riches would not deliver in that day - only righteousness would do. The second man who would love to testify would be the rich farmer who thought he had it made because he had a bumper crop. Faced with filled barns already, he wondered what to do with his wealth. He decided to build bigger barns, fill them and then say to himself that he was set for life. He trusted riches, not righteousness. He lost. The Lord called this man a fool and told him that he would die that night - and what would he do for his own soul. Riches will not profit us in that day when we face the judgment of God. Only righteousness will do. Actually, only a certain kind of righteousness will do too. That is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That alone will stand in that awful day. Nothing else will matter except that we've repented and turned in faith to Jesus Christ. What He did on the cross will pay for our sins - what He did will allow us to be credited with a perfect righteousness that will cause us to be accepted before God. Only what He did - only His righteousness will matter. It will save us from death. In light of this truth - what are YOU trusting in on the day of God's wrath? You may think it is not coming - that God is too nice to judge anyone. The fact of Scripture is to the contrary. God will judge - He will call us to an accounting - and He will accept only one thing on that day to make us acceptable in His sight. Oh that we would be wise and run to the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Oh that we would open our eyes and be aware of the horror of that day for those who trust anything other than the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. It alone can deliver from death. Any other thing will fail eternally. Now let me ask the question . . . On the day of God's wrath what do you want to have - riches or righteousness? |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
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