“I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me. I have riches and honor, as well as enduring wealth and justice. My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver! I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. Those who love me inherit wealth. I will fill their treasuries.” Proverbs 8:17-21 NLT
Wisdom is so generous! But she must be sought after and respected. It is interesting that when people think of riches or wealth, be it bitcoin or gold and silver, no one really associates it with wisdom. Wealth is more often associated with greed, manipulation and slick, smooth fast talkers bilking folks out of their hard earned money.
Wisdom says, get me and wealth will follow but it will not only come by hard work but also earned by how you treat others.
I know some wealthy people and they did not gain by i’ll-means and they are super generous. Their wealth had all the markings of hard work, smart decisions, right decisions, justice and yes – wisdom. It would be foolish to think for some moment that I should strip away their wealth and give it to someone who has not worked, not earned, not made good decisions and certainly not learned or even attempted to get close to wisdom!
This is not equality, this is moronic shortcuts to some humanistic principle of “rights.” I’ll tell about rights, wisdom says “come one come all and search for me, learn my ways, listen to me and I will lead you.” Wisdom gives the right to a great life by invitation NOT by some kind of socialistic lottery system. Why won’t some just come and learn? I have no idea! But wisdom (which by the way IS Jesus himself) doesn’t come free. It comes at a great cost to the giver (God) and the receiver (learner).
There are wealthy that are wicked for sure. And they did not gain their money or power through paths of righteousness or wisdom. Their path was stealing, manipulating, tricking and hooking the poor and the fool to gain their trust. Their path looks like casinos, lotteries and unaccountable welfare systems that rob humans of dignity and traps them into cycles of debt and dependency. Our only hope is through wisdom! And, wisdom is the first thing God gives a new believer who will continue to commit and walk with him in this journey through life. Get Jesus, get wisdom.
PRAYER:
Dad,
You are generous beyond measure in grace and wisdom. Knowledge itself starts with fearing your. And a all-in pursuit of you is a life long curiosity and education in wisdom. Thank you for the disciple and the patience to walk these paths of righteousness and justice to find wisdom and love her ways. Now looking back, wealth or the reality of having enough was absolutely a concern and often an outright fear. And, I can’t ignore the financial responsibilities that you have allowed wisdom to so carefully teach me. But I have learned that money is not the only riches that come from a godly life, a life engaging with wisdom. I also have friends, wonderful eternal friends that remind me of how truly wealthy I am. It becomes a wonderful life for sure!