Financial Riches Don’t Last

For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? (Proverbs 27:24)

It’s easy in the world in which we live to become enamored with wealth and what money can bring. Most people around you are consumed with finding stability, security, and prosperity through the means of money alone. However, they are unaware of the truth presented in Proverbs 27:24: riches are not forever.

Humans have gained fortunes, built empires, and waged wars all for the sake of gathering more resources to themselves and yet, like sifting sand, it seems as though we cannot hold on to those riches no matter how much we try. Money can be here today and gone tomorrow.

Consider the financial crises of the past. Recently, we can recall the housing bubble, stock market crashes, and economic downturns in America where the stock market many trusted in plummeted, fortunes vanished, house appreciation crumbled and lives were shattered because people based their worth and their security in the “almighty dollar” instead of Almighty God!

Think about your life as a river. God sows goodness into your life and if you horde it and hold it tightly, you dam up what God intends to flow through you. That not only stops others from receiving, but it also stops more of God’s blessing from coming to you as well. As rivers flow, they give, they nourish, and they move with power. When we loosen our grip on our finances and allow God to be the Lord of our money, we become conduits for God’s blessings to flow. Money may ebb and flow in the country around us, but as we steward what God has given us, He ensures that the resources we need are always flowing through us. That’s real prosperity. It is not in the money we have, but rather it is the blessings we walk in by being a river of God’s power.

Practical Application

Think about your attitude toward money today. Are you clinging to it in fear? Are you concerned about the economy or the fear tactics that are spoken by the world around you? Or are you seeking first the Kingdom of God by sowing into what God puts on your heart?

1 Timothy 6:17; James 1:10

Hear from Wisdom

Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. (Proverbs 23:4)

Proverbs 23:4 challenges the mindset of chasing after riches and tells us we should instead do whatever our labor is for the purpose of being used by God. At your workplace, you will see people hustle, strategize, and manipulate to get greater financial gain, yet, just like a mirage in the desert, wealth deceives them. They think that once they get that promotion and more money, life will be better. Instead, they find themselves dry, parched, and disappointed with their pursuit in the end.

I know many people who have gained fortunes from businesses only to find that they were spiritually, mentally, and emotionally poor because they had become slaves to their ambitions and bank account and would not listen to the wisdom of those who have gone before them and made the same mistakes.

The second part of this Proverb has strong words for those who work so hard to be rich. In common English, it could read, “Stop trying to figure it out from your own mind.” Wisdom isn’t found in our own ambitions or our constant striving for more success, more accumulation, and more opportunities. God’s wisdom is found in His Word and in wise counsel. That’s why God gave us the command to honor our parents. It’s not just about respect; it’s an invitation to tap into the wisdom they have from a lifetime of experience. Elders carry valuable insights by sharing their victories, their mistakes and the hard lessons they learned in life.

It’s pride that blinds us from the wisdom and wealth that we truly have at our disposal. If you really want to be wise, be humble. Listen to those God has placed in your life, especially those who are older than you are. God’s desire for your life is not scarcity, but rather His desire is for abundance. He wants you to have a continual wealth flow, but that is not just in finances. He desires an abundance of love, purpose, and legacy to flow through you.

Practical Application

Who is an elder in your life that you should listen to? Ask questions and hear from their insights as they share with you the depth of riches and experience has given them.

Proverbs 28:20; Isaiah 5:21

Awe and Humility

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life. (Proverbs 22:4)

Humility is not weakness; it is power under control. It’s acknowledging that our understanding is limited and that God’s wisdom and God’s way is better than anything we can come up with. I am positive that although I have experience and some knowledge, I do not know it all. However, I can still be confident because I know the One Who does.

Proverbs 22:4 talks about the fear of the Lord. This does not mean that we are supposed to be afraid of God. Fear means a reverential respect and honor. It is being in awe of God and His Word. It’s recognizing God’s wisdom and aligning our lives to follow His way.

When you hear of the prophets in the Old Testament who would encounter the Lord, their proper response was awe, wonder, and repentance. They had a heart of humility, expecting God to show them His wisdom, so they surrendered all they thought they knew at His feet.

Submitting to God’s wisdom by honoring and following Him always brings reward. Proverbs 22:4 says that riches, honor, and life are the blessings that come from a humble, awe-filled heart.

• Riches - This is not just talking about a six or seven-figure bank account. The riches that come from God go well beyond financial gain and allow us to live in a way where we want nothing because His hand is upon everything we do.

• Honor - Honor comes to us because our name is connected with His. We expect and believe for a good name in our community because of how we live a life of integrity with God.

• Life - God’s life means more than simply breathing and moving. The life that God wants us to have is one of purpose and power. The life God desires for you to have is one where you are seeing God’s kingdom and will be done on earth the same way that it is done in Heaven.

Proverbs 22:7 is not just about financial wisdom; it’s about our allegiance. Whom do you serve? God or mammon? What’s more important to you? The kingdom of God or the god of this world? Where your interest goes matters.

Practical Application

Embrace your awe of God today. Look at nature, or your own hand, or the people God has placed in your life. Pause and wonder at His handiwork and His wisdom.

Psalm 34:9; Isaiah 33:6