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28:21: To have respect of persons and to show partiality is not good, neither is it good that man should transgress for a piece of bread. |
To show favoritism, especially to do so because you think that person can do something for you in return, is the same as compromising for your food. Bread obtained through sin never tastes as good. You may gain an increase through your partiality but it's not worth it. It's hard to enjoy that which you've compromised godly principles to get. But when you maintain honesty and integrity then whatever increase you obtain will be sweet and will truly be a blessing from God meant for you to enjoy. |
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28:22: He who has an evil and covetous eye hastens to be rich and knows not that want will come upon him. |
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If you are in a hurry to be rich then you have an evil and covetous eye and you'll always feel you are in a state of lack. However lack is a perception and as long as you're focusing on that lack, more of it will come. When you've got your eye on something and begin to make plans to get that thing no matter what, then you're blinded to the fact that you're setting yourself up to remain in a state of discontentment. Once you allow that "gotta have it" pattern of thinking to come into your mind then it stays there no matter how much stuff you get. The key is to learn to be content where you are now. To stick to the godly principles of wisdom, diligence, righteousness, faithfulness and mercy. When you do so, you'll keep free from discontentment and will live a much more satisfied life. And will be blessed with true godly prosperity as well. |
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28:24: Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, This is no sin--he is in the same class as [an open, lawless robber and] a destroyer. |
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I suppose someone could try and say that because they will inherit what their parents have one day it's not wrong to steal from them. Or because they grew up in their home, what they have still belongs to them. But this is wrong thinking. You have to allow your parents the freedom to do with their wealth what they feel is right. When it is passed down to you then hopefully it will be at a time when you have gained enough wisdom to do the right thing with it. (And, as a parent, hopefully you are seeking the wisdom now to do the right thing with your money). To take from your parents is the same kind of thing as borrowing on the future--getting yourself into frivolous debt--so that any increase in income you have is gone as soon as you get it. God's way is not to be so far in debt that you have to use what you earn as soon as you get it to pay back your debts. This, again, is where diligence, patience and faithfulness will bring you financial stability and prosperity. |
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28:25: He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed. |
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The kind of person who is greedy also is the kind to stir up strife. A greedy person is a self-centered person who is never satisfied. So not only will he be greedy with money but this habit of thinking will carry over into every area of his life. This person is not satisfied and content because he always wants more. He may think that everyone else owes something to him. He's not thinking so much about what he is responsible for but what everyone else should be doing. As a result, he stir's up strife. He's not very forgiving or tolerant of those around him because he's only thinking of himself. This is the kind of person who is very much aware of everyone who has "wronged" him. He has a hard time forgetting that and may even seek revenge. This person needs to understand God's love for him deep enough so that he will cross the line and desire to be a giver of God's love himself and not just a taker. If this is you, ask God to open your eyes and your heart to His love for you to the point where your desire to love is stirred up. |
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28:27: He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes [from their want] will have many a curse. |
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We continue to see a connection between giving to the poor and having your own needs met. This is not because you can do so many good religious deeds and earn the right to God's blessings. It's because of the attitude of your heart. You're not running away from those in need but you're willing to do something yourself for them. God is looking at the heart. And one who gives because he is truly compassionate towards others in need understands the mercy of God. One who gives with a compassionate heart is not allowing greed or lust or any other type of selfishness to take hold. He's not always looking for how he can gain, but for how he can bless. God is a giving God and if we are to be like Him then we must also desire to have a giving, unselfish heart like Him. |
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29:3: Whoever loves skillful and godly Wisdom rejoices his father, but he who associates with harlots wastes his substance. |
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Remember the prodigal son? He took his inheritance, left his father's house and went and partied his wealth away. Then he was left with nothing. This is why a child who loves wisdom causes a parent to rejoice. A child who is wise understands the concept of righteousness, diligence, patience and faithfulness. He understands what certain actions might cost him and he has the discipline to do the right thing. And those who are wise will not only maintain the wealth they inherit but will increase in prosperity. As this happens, their wealth is passed down from generation to generation. And God's people, who are supposed to be the ones who are wise and who have the godly characteristics of diligence etc., will be the ones who have stability and prosperity and are an example of the goodness and blessing of God. |
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30:7-9: Two things have I asked of You [O Lord]; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lies; 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 so profane the name of my God. |
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The danger of being rich is that you forget God. Unfortunately, when people don't have pressing needs there is a tendency to quit seeking God. When everything is going well and you have an abundance then you may not spend the time praying and seeking God's wisdom because you feel like you don't need to. It's sad to think that we only remember God when we need something from Him. This is why you need to understand His love for you as much as possible, because if you do then you will love Him in return. And your love for Him will cause you to want to seek Him more. The danger of being poor is that you act out of desperation and do things that compromise the principles of God and your integrity. In this case you still need to understand His love so you can have hope that things will get better and if you just continue on, doing the right thing, that He will come through for you like He says He will. |
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31:11: The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. |
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In the book of Proverbs, we see the wife as the one who managed the household. The husband fulfilled his calling outside the home and the wife managed the house. In this verse here we see that the husband has confidence in the wife's ability to manage the finances because he has enough so that he doesn't need to turn to dishonest ways to gain an income. There are two things the wife does to accomplish this. One is that she manages whatever income he provides well enough so that a little goes a long way. She's not impulsive in her spending and she knows how to get good deals. The second thing is that she works to provide extra money. She does what she is gifted to do. We see her making clothing and rugs and we also see her buying some land. We also see her giving to the poor and having a mouth full of godly Wisdom and kindness. She's not lazy, discontent or a gossiper. As a result, her home is stable, prosperous and happy. Even though our homes today may not follow the same example exactly of the husband working and the wife staying home, the principles are the same. Each doing what they are gifted to do, seeing to it that the household is managed well and following godly principles of wisdom, diligence, patience, mercy, generosity and kindness. This is possible in a home where the love of God has filled your hearts and you do what you do because His love has given you peace, contentment, hope and great joy. Even when times are tough, He will walk through them with you, showing you the way, giving you the wisdom and the strength you need to follow the right path. |
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