The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the
poor. ~Proverbs 10:15
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him. ~Psalm 37:39-40
Well, the truth in the Proverb is why we save, have a pension or retirement account of another type, IRA, stocks…etc., right? We’re building protection against an uncertain future. In truth, planning for the future is scriptural. It is also true that those in poverty have few choices, if any at all. They are at the mercy of government programs and policies. Often, that isn’t much of a life at all. So, what Solomon is saying here is true. He is stating the obvious. Earlier, he told us to “go to the ant,” to learn and, the one who saves has learned from the ant well because they have had opportunity. For the poor, poverty can be cruel.
The complication arises when the rich or the poor look at reality only from what is seen and do not take into account the God factor. The rich can think they are set for a worry-free retirement. The poor may think they are trapped, and no one cares. Both see money as security, and then there is God.
We have a friend in Maine, whose husband is not a Christian. She was troubled by how upset he was during the 2008 market plunge. He evidently obsessed about it, checking his retirement account multiple times a day, thinking it was over. That is where his security was. He probably thinks he is fortunate that he didn’t plan on retiring until this year, in June. Things look much better now, but all the anxiety he put himself through thirteen years ago ended up being a lot of worry about little. He should be more concerned about his eternal future.
In truth, when we put our faith in anything of this world for security, we are putting our faith in shifting sand. Health can be lost in an instant. Our home can go up in flames. Finances can be undependable and even insurance can prove unreliable. Only the Lord is the sure thing in all situations.
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 37:39-40) When David penned this Psalm, he was an old man. He had been through many tests and trials, but he could testify to God’s faithfulness through it all. I hope and pray that all of you receiving this can testify to the same. He is so faithful.
To the rich I say, be careful, earthly riches, that moth and rust corrupt, and that thieves can break in and steal, are more fleeting than you know. Consider that certain rich man in Luke 12 who planned to build bigger barns for his vast harvest. He thought he was set for life and was in for a big surprise. To the poor, I say, God specifically says that He hears your cries and notices your situation. He is our rock and our refuge through all the storms of life. Our security is not in earthly things or present circumstances, but our security is found only in Him. True riches are in Christ.
Philippians 4:19 says, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” The wealth of the spiritually rich is an even better fortified city than all the gold in the world! The deepest poverty, that truly ruins, is poverty of faith.
Prayer: I trust in You, Oh Lord, more than any trust fund. Your interest in me is of the highest value and greatest return on the investment of my life. I pray to see how to store up treasures in heaven, specifically, new believers who will be with me in joyful fellowship for eternity. Evangelism ought to be my life's work, no matter what means you provide to support my earthly existence. In Jesus' name, amen.
Hymn: “Through It All
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him. ~Psalm 37:39-40
Well, the truth in the Proverb is why we save, have a pension or retirement account of another type, IRA, stocks…etc., right? We’re building protection against an uncertain future. In truth, planning for the future is scriptural. It is also true that those in poverty have few choices, if any at all. They are at the mercy of government programs and policies. Often, that isn’t much of a life at all. So, what Solomon is saying here is true. He is stating the obvious. Earlier, he told us to “go to the ant,” to learn and, the one who saves has learned from the ant well because they have had opportunity. For the poor, poverty can be cruel.
The complication arises when the rich or the poor look at reality only from what is seen and do not take into account the God factor. The rich can think they are set for a worry-free retirement. The poor may think they are trapped, and no one cares. Both see money as security, and then there is God.
We have a friend in Maine, whose husband is not a Christian. She was troubled by how upset he was during the 2008 market plunge. He evidently obsessed about it, checking his retirement account multiple times a day, thinking it was over. That is where his security was. He probably thinks he is fortunate that he didn’t plan on retiring until this year, in June. Things look much better now, but all the anxiety he put himself through thirteen years ago ended up being a lot of worry about little. He should be more concerned about his eternal future.
In truth, when we put our faith in anything of this world for security, we are putting our faith in shifting sand. Health can be lost in an instant. Our home can go up in flames. Finances can be undependable and even insurance can prove unreliable. Only the Lord is the sure thing in all situations.
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 37:39-40) When David penned this Psalm, he was an old man. He had been through many tests and trials, but he could testify to God’s faithfulness through it all. I hope and pray that all of you receiving this can testify to the same. He is so faithful.
To the rich I say, be careful, earthly riches, that moth and rust corrupt, and that thieves can break in and steal, are more fleeting than you know. Consider that certain rich man in Luke 12 who planned to build bigger barns for his vast harvest. He thought he was set for life and was in for a big surprise. To the poor, I say, God specifically says that He hears your cries and notices your situation. He is our rock and our refuge through all the storms of life. Our security is not in earthly things or present circumstances, but our security is found only in Him. True riches are in Christ.
Philippians 4:19 says, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” The wealth of the spiritually rich is an even better fortified city than all the gold in the world! The deepest poverty, that truly ruins, is poverty of faith.
Prayer: I trust in You, Oh Lord, more than any trust fund. Your interest in me is of the highest value and greatest return on the investment of my life. I pray to see how to store up treasures in heaven, specifically, new believers who will be with me in joyful fellowship for eternity. Evangelism ought to be my life's work, no matter what means you provide to support my earthly existence. In Jesus' name, amen.
Hymn: “Through It All
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