#DailyDevotion What Is Your Wealth And Light?
Jun 13th
Read Prov 13:1–25
Pro 13:4-11 ESV The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied… (7) One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. (8) The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat. (9) The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out. (10) By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom. (11) Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Solomon speaks about wealth again today. There are only 3 important things to talk about in life. Religion, politics and business. I know this because only important things divide people and these are the big three you’re not supposed to talk about. But we must. So Solomon again instructs to not to sluggards but diligent. Those who are sluggards day dream all day about what they want but never do anything about it. Wishful thinking is all they do and is all they have. If you diligent about your work it will produce something.
How we present out wealth is another thing. We know plenty of people who are credit rich for now, but their bills will come due. Then there are those billionaires who run around in a 79 beat up Ford pickup truck. The rich display or rather use their wealth when they need to do so.
But wealth has its own problems. Poor people don’t have to worry about losing anything because they don’t have anything to lose. Wealthy people have to worry about thieves, fraudulent accountants, bankers, business partners, kidnappers etc..
How we gain our wealth is also brought up. Those who get rich quick get poor just as quick. We know all about a number of lottery winners who don’t know how to handle money so it goes out just as quickly as it comes in. Then there are those who build their wealth slowly and learn how to deal with it so it builds itself up instead of flowing out.
Those though are truly wealthy who have the righteous light. That righteous light is Jesus. If you trust Jesus has given you eternal life, won salvation and defeated the crafts of the devil then you will be able to rejoice even when times are bad because you know the end of it. Everything ends in Christ Jesus. We have his promise in Matt. 6 that we need not worry about a thing when we are seeking him and his righteousness.
If wealth, prestige and other things are your main goals in life your light will eventually be put out. You will end up in darkness because these things are only temporary. They cannot be trusted. They will not bring ultimate joy and fulfillment. Only the One True God can do that and He is only accessible through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus Christ, give us a right understanding of wealth and my our hearts ever be anchored in you that the light of our righteousness be rejoicing in you who is our righteousness. Amen.