Kraig Lowell Pullam

Power in Proverbs…11:1

What does it mean to be poor?
What does it really mean to be rich?
Do we know the different between poor & being broke?
Between being rich & being wealthy?
What makes a rich person rich and what makes a poor person poor?

Hold that thought.

All around the world, schemes for making money abound. Opportunities for amassing wealth are a part of our everyday society.

But some rich men are poor, rich men. Some poor men are rich, poor men.  This is what we learn in Proverbs.  Solomon is the author of Proverbs.  Solomon, a son of David, became known throughout the ancient world for his wealth and opulent palace, as well as his great wisdom.  Instead of asking for riches, prominence or power, Solomon one day asked God for wisdom.  God granted his request, and he became known among many as the wisest man to ever live on the earth.  Throughout the Proverbs, we learn that God’s wisdom and wealth are best managed with the virtues of honesty and integrity. 

Mark it down – God hates dishonesty. 

In Proverbs 11:1 it says that ‘dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord.”  This verse refers to people who would cheat others in the marketplace  To get ahead, many merchants would overcharge their customers in order to top ahead on their ‘bottom line’ at the end of the business day.  The overcharging may have amounted to only a few pennies per sale, but God despised this practice. 

Honest people, on the other hand, do what they can to make things right, even when it costs them something. 

Now lets be honest – wealth can make you dishonest.  When Solomon speaks of ‘dishonest scales’ he is referring to dishonest business practices.  In Mark 7:11-12, Jesus would go on to denounce religious leaders – men who should’ve been moral examples – for succumbing to the power of money by twisting the law to increase their profits.  Money (and power) has never had so many ways to cause people (even godly people) be dishonest, shrewd, manipulative, cunning and evil.  Don’t be naïve about its power to tempt you and trip you up.  Wealth and riches gained by fraud will never satisfy.  In fact, Proverbs 20:17 says that a person who tries to manipulate this divine order of God and His will for us to do right by others (this goes beyond money) will end up with a mouth full of gravel. 

Never allow the selfish desire for more things, money and power – and to get ahead – cause you do be dishonest, or step over others, in the process.  Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us to ‘…remember that it is God Who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers…’  If you are a Christian, then you need to know that you are ‘ingrafted in Christ’ (2 Cor. 5:17), and it is ‘…the blessing of God that makes one rich…and He adds no sorrow to it.’ 

This is my prayer for you this day!