Friday, May 22, 2009

May 23

Proverbs of Solomon (Continued) - Economic Well-Being, Wealth and poverty - Proverbs 3:9-10, 10:15, 11:4, 11:28, 13:8, 14:20, 15:16, 17:16, 18:11, 18:23, 19:4, 19:6-7, 22:2, 22:7, 23:4-5, 27:7, 28:6, 28:8, 28:11, 28:20-22; Benevolence and generosity - Proverbs 3:27-28, 11:24-26, 13:22, 14:21, 18:16, 19:17, 21:13, 22:9, 25:14, 28:27; Oppression of the poor - Proverbs 13:23, 14:31, 15:15, 16:8, 22:16, 22:22-23, 29:7, 29:13; Industriousness - Proverbs 6:6-11, 10:4-5, 10:26, 12:11, 12:24, 12:27, 13:4, 14:4, 14:23, 15:19, 16:26, 18:9, 19:15, 19:24, 26:15, 20:4, 20:13, 21:17, 21:25-26, 22:29, 24:27, 24:30-34, 26:14, 27:18, 27:23-27, 28:19; Conservation - Proverbs 21:20; Surety for another - Proverbs 6:1-5, 11:15, 17:18, 20:16, 27:13, 22:26-27


The Lord cares about our heart and so he cares about our attitude about wealth.  Because He knows its hold over us.  Ironic because He holds it all, and us, in His hands.

"Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
     but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf."

We need to focus on the real green, the evergreen, the Lord.  I love this image of the righteous as a green leaf.  We don't need to focus on what's gold in life but what is green.  Makes me feel like a Robert Frost poem.

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day,
Nothing gold can stay.


"A generous man will prosper;
     he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

I can't help but think of Bob Webb when I read this.  Bob Webb, a rich man who is richest in his generosity.  I call him the Mormon coffee merchant because he grew up Mormon and now is a member of the Church of Christ and the owner of a company that provides coffee service to business.  How far he's come from his Mormon roots.  And the name of his company?  Webb Refreshments.


"He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
     and He will reward him for what he has done."

Lending to the Lord?  How is that?  It's all His anyway, right?  We're just doing what He intended us to do with His resources, right?  Or does this proverb point point out how the Lord will return the loan?  I think so.  Imagine how a generous and loving and giving Lord will make good on a loan we've made to Him by giving to one of His children in need.  I'm certain it will be more than we can imagine.  I think about when we're out, say with a sports team from school, and someone else's child that plays on my child's team is short of money for the post-game meal.  I don't think twice when I step up to help out with their bill.  It should be the same for the poor.  I should do it without a second thought because their the Lord's child.  Lord knows.

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