A Tale of Two Ladies--Cash or Credit--Proverbs 10-30

 

Augustine, a 4th century theologian, said--

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."  

There may be no area we feel the restlessness more than in our finances. Proverbs 10-30 has a little over 90 verses that teach about money.  Wisdom and Folly both exert influence.  Lady Wisdom has her voice raised in the markets, pleading with us to live God's way in God's world.  Lady Folly can't be bothered to get off of her high horse to go to the market, but she still seduces us with stolen water, inviting us to do what is right in our own eyes.  We value what we spend money on, whether it's godly or ungodly spent. Jesus, the Wisdom and Power of God (1 Cor. 1:24), teaches the disciples and us this in Matthew 6:21..."Where you treasure is, there your heart will be also."  

Proverbs 23:4-5 "Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.  When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven."  Uhhhh, did anyone else feel this to your core?! There's always someone or something waiting for our money.  And that affects the way we interact with the world around us.  

King Solomon does a great job of giving us a contrast between wisdom and folly, with wisdom always being "better than".  Proverbs 12:9--being lowly is better than pretending to be great while starving.  Proverbs 15:16--having a little with God is better than treasure but great trouble.  Proverbs 18:6--being a poor man who walks in integrity is better than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.  

There are clearly things that money can't buy--a clear conscience and a calm heart, for example.  All the money in the world doesn't matter if I can't buy my way out of worry, want, anxiety, trouble, and deceit.  

Another clue if we follow wisdom or folly in our finances is our generosity.    We bring honor to God by giving generously to the needy, according to Proverbs 14:31. It is an insult to God when we are close-fisted with the money He has entrusted to us. (1 Chronicles 29:14) Greed stirs up animosity, but trusting in the Lord will give a much-improved life.  (Remember Proverbs are principles, not promises.  This is not a prosperity gospel in that we will be rich if we serve God.  But I can't think of a more wealthy, much-improved life than walking on God's path of wisdom in the "already", and walking with Him eternally in the "not-yet". I'll take that promise over worldly wealth any day!! 1 Cor. 6:9-11) 

There are many get-rich quick schemes out there to tempt us.  Proverbs 13:11 warns that wealth gained hastily will dwindle.  If you research the lives of people after they won a giant lottery, you will see this is true!  Proverbs 11:1 says that false balances are an abomination--vile, shameful, detestable action; intense aversion or loathing)--to the LORD.   A bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. (Deuteronomy 16:19) Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit.  (Proverbs 10:2) If something is weighted against someone else to gain the upper hand, that is straight from the path of Lady Folly.  

Debt is something that seems inevitable.  It's not bad to go into some debt, but it can quickly become a problem if we don't walk wisely.  Proverbs 22:7 refers to the borrower as a slave; Romans 13:8 says we should owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  

The way money influences our actions, our relationships, and our mood cannot be denied.  Solomon--very wealthy, very powerful, very wise--preaches in Ecclesiastes 3:14 "In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him."  Money, in excess or lack, does not make or break what we have inherited from God.  

The only prayer in the book of Proverbs is found in 30:7-9, spoken by a man named Agur son of Jakeh.  He knows the power of money in excess, and the power of money in lack.   "Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die; Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say 'Who is the LORD?' or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God."   He is where the treasure is.  💓