December 13
PROVERBS 23
When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
4 Do not toil to acquire wealth;
be discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
– Proverbs 23:1-5
PROVERBS 23 DESIST THE LOVE OF MONEY
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The love of money cannot exist if you are a servant of Christ
No one can serve two masters but only those with double minds
Those who are lovers of money work to acquire riches
But the believer gathers treasures that belong to heaven
You will be a slave to the dark powers if you love money
Satan will surely keep you in bondage to sin and be greedy.
Solomon warns us in verse 4 of the dangers of the love of money and wealth. He says that if one works only to acquire wealth, there will be consequences that will not be beneficial for that person.
In the garden of Eden before the fall, the history of work began “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it (Genesis 2:15). Work then wasn’t that hard since God had already provided everything they needed. After the fall, the consequence of their disobedience changed the purpose of work. Because man was tainted with sin, he has a tendency to work to gather wealth instead of his daily bread. Before the fall, man was content with God’s provision, but greed entered his heart after.
REFLECTION
• Why should we be purposeful with our work ethics? What happens if we aren’t?
