“The trustworthy person will get a rich reward, but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble.” Pro 28:20 NLT
Get rich quick schemes usually come with some form of consequences. The quick riches come from somewhere, and often come at the expense of others. The lottery is such a scheme – everyone is buying a chance to strike it rich – and only one does. All the others waste their money. The lottery is for those who are bad at mathematics or who are wanting to get rich so that they can quit working. Either way – their riches come with a burden of sin. That is what today’s proverb counsels against.
Let’s look at the last half of this proverb first. The one who makes “haste” to be rich is going to face punishment in the end. It is never wise to be hasty in decisions or in following schemes that others hatch to make you rich. The corporate world is filled with those who learn to become rich on the backs of other’s misfortune. Companies are bought and gutted for the purpose of making the investor rich – and people in the Stock Market are always talking of plans whereby you get rich quickly. The problem is that in every case – someone has to pay a price for your quick wealth. The phrase at the end of this proverb that reads, “will not go unpunished” is a Hebrew phrase that also means, “will not be innocent.” The idea is that some form of sin is entered into that leaves them guilty – and eventually will lead to them being punished. Just know that every scheme that makes someone rich hastily – will leave them with an aspect of guilt in the end.
God is not against people becoming rich. God promised riches to the patriarchs and to Israel if they would follow Him with all their heart. He also warned them that when they became rich, they would have a tendency to forget God and trust in their riches. God is against those who make haste to be rich – and cut corners morally to do so.
The Lord wants us to be faithful. Work is NOT EVIL! There are so many who think work is some sort of evil activity that came with the fall of man into sin. Work was something God gave man in the garden before the fall. Therefore, to do faithful work puts us in a position for God to bless us. That is why The Lord says here that the faithful man will abound with blessings. Those blessings may include financial riches – but for many it does not. The blessings abound in numerous areas. I am blessed with my work associates – and the friendships that have been built over the years. I am blessed with projects that we do together that bring a very real sense of accomplishment. I am blessed with less temptation because my hands and my mind are busy doing work. For some there is a blessing of an expanding business where others can be blessed with employment. And there is the blessing of serving others in your work – and building more and more of a servant’s heart. Regardless of whether the blessings are financial or through moral character building – there is such a blessing that is ours when we embrace faithful work. May God help us to once again embrace the value of lifelong faithful work – and shun the get rich quick schemes that always involve some aspect of guilt and sin.
This week, do good work and count on the Lord to be your Provider.
In His Hands,
John
