Tag Archives: the book of Proverbs

“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.  Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”  (Proverbs 23: 4-5, NIV)

There is an old ditty about money that goes like this: “Money talks, and that’s no lie; I heard it once, it said, ‘bye-bye.'”

God’s wisdom reminds of the deceitfulness of riches, and warns us of the perils of chasing money.  The bumper sticker says, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”  However, the “winner” still dies and all of the “toys” he has accumulated will pass to someone else in an estate sale — or in a garage sale — at a small fraction of the original retail price!

The wise person works for the treasure that “moth and rust cannot corrupt; and thieves cannot break-in and steal.”  The wise person does not work for the treasure that is here today and gone tomorrow; but for the treasure that is earned today and is remembered by the Creator of the universe for all time.  – Luther

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“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”  (Proverbs 22:1, NIV)

Today’s verse brings to mind a certain company that changed its name in hopes of outrunning its deservedly poor reputation.  The only problem was that whenever this company was mentioned in the media after its name change, the reference always went something like, “the company formerly known as. . .”

Call it a “handle,” a “flag,” a “label,” or a “tag,” it’s still a name.  Everyone has a name; but not everyone has a good name.

The Bible says that a good name is more desirable than great wealth.  Indeed, a good name is the confidence you see looking back at you in the mirror; a good name blesses our children; a good name is the fragrance of righteousness.

Guard your good name (or rehabilitate it, if you’ve allowed it to founder) by being faithful and truthful in all of your dealings with others.  – Luther

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“Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.”  (Proverbs 19:16, NIV)

There is an old saying: “Learn from the mistakes of others; you won’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

The commandments of God are the best way to avoid the mistakes of others because God’s commandments have two purposes: To protect us; and to provide for us.

So many otherwise intelligent, talented, and resourceful people come to grief because they choose to ignore God’s wisdom and God’s commandments.  Trying to learn everything from personal experience, they will either cripple or destroy themselves long before reaching the end of every list of lessons.

Keeping God’s commandments does not inhibit living.  On the contrary, it provides the length of days that makes living possible.  – Luther

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