Sneaking in Plain Sight

(Pro 6:11 KJV)  So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

I keep hearing mantras about how many elderly are living hand to mouth.  They don’t have enough income to pay the bills.  My favorite was the bit about eating cat food to stay alive.  I like that because, if it were true, it would underline the problem:  Bad choices.  

The previous verse talks about taking a nap when you should be working.  This expands in a different direction.  The picture here is that “poverty” will just casually walk in and sit down.  It won’t be a calamity like a stock market crash.  It will be the result of unnumbered days of refusing to save a nickle because “life is too short”.  For many people it is long enough to make you run out of nickles.

My parents went into their retirement years with little income except for Social Security.  They managed to get by.  They did a lot of driving.  They visited and were visited by family.  They had their medical needs taken care of, which involved surgery and chemo.  How did they do it?  They made sure their house was paid off and bought things on sale.  I know it can be done because they did it.  When I hear about people who have nothing I know that the usual reason is because they never denied themselves anything.

So?  Poverty is real.  Some people are genuinely the victims of tragedy.  Most people are victims of leaving the door standing open and wondering how the flies got in.  Give God a chance to provide. 

The Ego Balloon

Proverbs 12:9 (KJV) He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

I have a lot of reasons for being satisfied with an old car.  Some of them are solid.  I don’t like the technology that wants to control me and report to the government.  I feel that the repairs on an old car are a lot more thrifty than loans and taxes on the latest.  An old roomy LTD is a lot more comfortable than the new cars designed for people who are short.

Then there is the ego factor.  I am not sure it is so noble.  I would rather be the one with money in the bank than owing the bank.  That is okay but the sense of superiority that it generates might not be the best.  That being said, I think what this is saying it puts me on the side of angels.

So?  Look at your bottom line financially.  Look at your attitude spiritually . Make sure the latter is right and the other will probably take care of itself. 

Cut Through the Cultural Norms

Proverbs 29:7 (KJV) The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

The underlying point of this verse is a corrective we need today.  It involves the attitude we should have toward the “poor”.

When the Bible talks about the “poor” it is talking a different language than what we are using today.  Today we say poor as a comparative term in the light of the materialistic affluence of our society.  We consider someone poor if they have less than some arbitrary standard conceived by a social worker concerned about the latest grant request or politician out for votes.  It is a floating standard created for manipulation.

Those kind of poor are also addressed in Proverbs but the word used is sluggard.

Biblical poor are people who missed their last meal and don’t know where the next will come from.  The righteous are to used discernment in considering their situation.  The word used there is “yada”  which means to know well.  The phrase has the idea of judging.

So?  We are to be concerned for the genuine poor.  We are also not supposed to waste the resources which could be used to help them on people who just want someone to pay for their cable.  

Pick Your Role

Proverbs 13:7 (KJV) There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

Which of these personalities is the one we should strive after?  I would say that the first is obviously not the winning answer but I wonder if the second is either.  Maybe that is the wrong answer. 

So often we look at a situation and think we are locked into the choices offered.  I would accept that there are times when God lays things out to us in that way.  Turn or burn?  Forgive or not be forgiven?  Obey or rebel?  Most of the time those are obvious.  The choice is clear.  Which side are we on?

Other times it is more confusing.  In the question about this verse I would submit that neither is offered as the optimal attitude.  Acting poor is not the same as being a good steward by driving your old car that is running just fine.  Wearing out your clothes instead of going for the latest fashion is not acting poor.  The answer is not a choice of either/or but a third path that is laid out in the principles that God has given us.  How about honesty and humility?

So?  Keep your mind turned on.  Keep seeking God’s guidance.  He will provide.  

Fat Praise

Proverbs 11:25 (KJV) The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Yes it really says this like it is a good thing.  Keep in mind the obesity has always been with us but historically the rolls of fat were an indication that you were doing very well in life.  Skinny was for poor peasants.

Don’t miss the point being made.  The concept being taught here is that we do not impoverish ourselves by being generous and sharing what we have.  The obvious application is in our finances but the principle extends to areas like investing our time and energy.

So?  Christian culture is rooted in the idea that we are givers.  Anything else is the residue of the expulsion from the Garden.  

What Did You Expect?

(Pro 12:9 KJV)  He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

As I read this verse this morning, my mind went several directions.  One went back to a book I read years ago, called The Millionaire Mind.  It was either that one or the other that went along with it called The Millionaire Next Door.  One of the points he made in those books was that there are more teachers who become millionaires then there are doctors.  The reason was that all those doctors made more money but needed to look more affluent.  They had to spend that money keeping up the image of being well-off.  Teachers on the other hand are expected to be poor and so they didn’t necessarily need to buy the flashy cars or the designer clothes.

Another rabbit trail was a memory of a fund raiser in the church I was attending years ago.  My wife and I were not invited to the fund raiser.  Our friends were.  Since I didn’t really want to go to a fund raiser that in itself didn’t bother me.  What bothered me was the way in which the church was kissing up to people they thought had money.  My friend tended to exude opulence.  I drove an old car and dressed in clothes that weren’t exactly cutting edge.  The irony of the situation is that we probably could have contributed more than they could but we were not invited to the steak dinner on China and white table cloths.

A third tangent had to do with a discussion in which people talked about how the elderly poor are having a hard time paying their bills and even putting food on the table.  The same time I’m aware that most of the equity in the country is in the hands of the elderly because they learned to be thrifty.  How that will work out I don’t know.

So?  What kind of a steward are you?  God has given you certain resources.  I believe that the providence of God will provide for His people.  I often wonder if a lack of resources is not the result of lack of discipline rather than oppression.  I have to be careful not to be judgmental here, but it is an observation based on this verse. 

A Different Type of Eagle Wing

(Pro 23:5 KJV)  Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Notice that the word “riches” is not in the original Hebrew at this point.  It refers back to the previous verse.  The idea is that riches tend to disappear.  As an example think of people who have won a big check in the lottery, who receive a large inheritance or some other unearned bit of wealth.  What tends to happen?  They blow it and end up as poor as before.

Many Americans have an income that would put them in the upper class in the third world.  I hear about how cheap it is to live in some countries.  In spite of that they are one pay check away from disaster.  They have no savings.  Their credit cards are maxed out.  At the same time someone who has limited income has their bills paid and their home paid off.  Why?  How?

People who focus on riches tend to think it is there to spend.  So they spend.  They figure they will make up for it later but they never do.  As a result, it flies away.

So?  God will meet our needs but we have a part in that formula.  It means that we practice stewardship.  It means we follow His priorities.  It means learning the difference between need and want.  Check your bank account as see how you are doing. 

Be Careful Where You Tap

(Pro 22:26 KJV)  Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

In verses like this I can see why our pastor likes the KJV.  He gets irritated at people clapping in church.  He is an old fashioned “amen” type of guy.  While I am not someone who shouts “Hallelujah” or such I also don’t applaud in worship.  It just seems out of place and so secular.  But that is not really what this is saying.  It is great that the KJV is so literal but for us today we can miss the point totally.  That is double true for this age where your word is no longer your bond.  You require a contract with the proper wording.

The NASB comes closer to the actual meaning with “giving pledges”.  It might be more accurate to say “shake on it”.  It is another way of reminding us not to be too quick with our financial commitments.  Know your limits.  Be a good steward.

So?  Now that we can tap and swipe with out credit cards this might be even more true.  Think twice before you even enter a store that has anything other than necessities. 

Focus Your Pittance

(Psa 41:1 KJV)  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

(Proverbs 11 also read)

As I breezed through this the first time I thought that “considers” (7919a) had a picture of someone sitting, looking wise and stroking their beard.  It turns out that the word is essentially to be prudent, not just thoughtful.  We are surrounded by people who love to tug our heartstrings for the poor and needy.  We should be doing what we can to help them but the buzzword here is prudence, not sympathy.

If you are one of those independently wealthy people who don’t need to worry about budgeting or priorities then rejoice as you give $1,000 to a needy cause and don’t bother asking yourself if $999 will go to pay a six figure executive.  Give away.  I am not in that boat.  I need to be a steward, which means prudence.  I need to ask myself, “Should I give my pittance to a drug addict begging in front of the 7-11 or would it be better to pass it on to the family at church that is having a hard time providing Christmas for their children.  The answer is obvious to me.

So?  Stewardship is more than giving.  It involves giving wisely.  Give.  Wisely. 

Watch

(Pro 22:9 KJV)  He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

I don’t know what the major media outlets are saying but everywhere I read people are worrying about a developing famine.  The reasons are many.  The most basic is government interference.  I think farmers can deal with natural disasters.  They know what to expect and where to cut corners.  What they can’t deal with are regulators who know what is best.  Any way you want to look at it we are looking at some kind of food shortage.

In that world this verse reminds us of our need to be generous.  Most of us can cut back some but we need to develop an eye that sees need.  I would suggest that we begin watching for candidates that we might be able to help.  Think of families with children and jobs that are marginal.  I would say try to get a sense of whom the working poor are.  To me it is good stewardship to share what I have to share with those who are most deserving.

So?  Maybe it will blow over.  It is still a good idea to look for places to help those less fortunate.

Gotta Have It

(Pro 22:7 KJV)  The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

The tricky point of this verse is that many people feel they borrow only because they must.  I would accept that is true in some cases but also false in some cases.  The big question comes back in what I always threw at my son, “Is it a want, or a need?”  We are not always qualified to tell the difference.

Think of things that we accept as necessary today:  Air conditioning, a car, a single family house, vacations, dishwashers.  The list can become endless.  Now ask yourself how many of them were common in your grandfathers’ time.  How about your great-grandfather?  It is amazing what people lived without in ancient times, like 1950.

So?  Make sure that what you are buying is really necessary.  Necessity won’t void the concern of this verse but might help us stay away from a lot of pain and sorrow. 

Topics of Conversation

(Pro 21:20 KJV)  There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

It seems that everyone is worried about the economy.  In one sense that is nothing new.  I remember reading a book 35 years ago that forecast all the doomsday scenarios that you are hearing today.  In another sense it is looking more iffy all the time.  As believers there are certain things that we should bring to the discussion.

We need to keep in mind that our starting point is prayer and trust.  It is not a place we come to when everything else fails.  It should be a daily discipline to remind ourselves of who God is and what He promises.  It should be part of our regular prayer life.  It is like the gas in your car.  If you wait until you run out it is too late.

The second is good stewardship.  The point being made in this verse is that we are to be savers not spenders.  Today people stockpile precious medals.  They did it in those days too but they also made sure that they had a supply of oil on hand.  It was used for everything from cooking to anointing.  Yes, God loves a cheerful giver but I also think He thinks highly of a careful spender.

So?  There will be discussions.  It happens every time you go out to shop.  You have something to share that the next shopper may not have considered.  Share it.

Poor Thinking

(Pro 19:7 KJV)  All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

Keeping our mind engaged is always vital if you are going to follow Jesus and serve the living God.  This is true in regard to the “poor” (7326).  On the surface it seems obvious.  After all, we are constantly asked to donate and help those less fortunate than ourselves.  You will notice that this verse does not take that approach.  While it doesn’t say the attitude of the people that know him is a good thing, it also does not condemn them.

If you do a simple search on this Hebrew word for poor you find that both sides of the coin are dealt with.  In some cases they are poor because they are lazy.  At other places it does not seem to be their fault.  As so many teachings of the Bible it must be applied with the individual in mind and the circumstances considered.

So?  If you are at the lower end of the economic scale try to keep your attitude in check.  If you are higher up, the same.

Victims Unaware

(Pro 12:10 KJV)  A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

How many times have you been approached to help with a struggle that someone else is going through?  Sometimes it seems daily.  It is a great marketing technique.  In this day of internet advertising and algorithms we are the prey of many people who want to take advantage of our kindness and generosity.  Be aware that many of these appeals are fronts for totally different operations.  I can remember when the Red Cross used a tragedy to raise money and very little of what was raised went to the presented need.  

Have you ever observed that the people who are the first to ask for help are often the least deserving?  This puts a responsibility on us.  We are to care and give.  That is obvious.  We are to do so with our baloney meters going full blast.  I only have so much extra income.  If I give it out I want to make sure that I am actually helping someone not just making life easy for a shyster.

So?  Give with your brain engaged.  Don’t support evil. 

Giving

(Pro 30:15 KJV)  The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

I am sure that everyone who believes that tithing is part of the legalism of the Old Testament loves this verse.  They use it to repudiate calls to “give” (3051).  In so doing they become the “daughters” (1323).  The issue here is not the giving or the call for giving.  The issue is the self-centeredness of the transaction.  I think it is safe to assume that these young women were not know for their generosity.  They were probably the last ones to come to work day or to contribute to the food bank.  They are not the people you would come to when you are down on your luck.

These are the people who complain that the A/C is not cold enough when they put nothing in the offering.  I am reminded of the woman who said she would be glad to give to the Easter offering but she would take it out of her tithe.  The double whammy on this is she was not tithing.

So?  Be a giver. 

The Second Edge

(Pro 1:11 KJV)  If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

The final phrase of this verse is a double edged sword.  Unfortunately the translations only seem to bring out one edge, the question of whether the person attacked deserved it or not.  That in itself is significant.  It is one reason we are told in the Sermon on the Mount to turn the other cheek.  We are not to rush into things like retaliation.  

But there is another aspect to this.  The closest translation I could find in my software to my point was the International Standard Version,

(Pro 1:11 ISV) If they say, "Come with us! Let's lie in wait for blood; let's ambush some innocent person for no reason at all.

The element missing is doing things without thinking through the goal you have in life.  Thus when we have a slick salesman who gets us to buy something we often don’t seriously ask ourselves, “Do I really need this?”  Often we buy things we have no real use for or that we would admit we will never use if we were honest.  Think of all the unused items in your garage and closets, or things you only used once.

So?  In addition to being kind to strangers this is also a call to stewardship.  Both are common problems in life. 

Double Standards

(Pro 31:20 KJV)  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

If you are like me you don’t have enough money to do all the things you want to get done.  God does not promise us enough to do what we want.  His promises tend to focus on our needs.  We don’t like that but God is not taking a poll.  We have a surplus.  If you don’t believe that then take a walk through your home.  How many TV’s do you have?  Do you have internet and/or cable?  Are there brand name groceries on your shelves?  Do you have a side by side refrigerator?  Do you have two cars?  You can see where this is going.

This verse reminds me that I need to be finding ways to share with people who need help.  Since there are more people needing a hand than I have hands, God wisely gives us some criteria for narrowing down the scope.  They must be “poor” (6041) and they must be “needy” (34).  We don’t see the word “both” here so there is some flexibility but I think they are good measurements.  Many people who are poor are not needy.  They have food on the table and a roof over their heads.  They are good stewards of what they have and God honors that.  Some people are needy but not poor but you are not going to be much help to people who have not learned to manage what they have.

So?  Keep your eyes open.  There will be people to help.  Two things you need to do.  First, you need to soften your heart so that you can be sensitive to need.  Second, you need to sharpen your mind so that your thinking process will help you tell a real emergency from simple lack of planning.

Be Judged Not

(Pro 12:9 KJV)  He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

Have you ever wondered if you had mustard on your nose or something?  You notice people are looking at you.  They might be laughing or just critical.  There is something about you that does not measure up.  I have been there.  Often I didn’t realize what was bothering me.  I remember one time when we realized that we had the oldest car in the church parking lot and realized we were being judged for it.  At that point I would sing the words of the old Beach Boys song which said, “And one more thing, I’ve got the pink slip, baby.”

So?  It is easy to say and not always easy to do.  Don’t expect the world to look up to you if you are living God’s way.  If they do, ask yourself what is wrong.  Maybe they think you are weird because you are the only one with your shoes on the right feet. 

Credit Enablers

(Pro 22:26 KJV)  Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

We live in a day of easy credit and easy forgiveness of credit.  One of the political footballs being tossed around today is the forgiveness of college loans.  In the lockdowns we had the government declaring that tenants did not need to pay their rent.  I hear ads on the radio about how a law office can get you out of paying back taxes.  It is often stated that you can negotiate with credit card companies to reduce your debt.

What is being stated here is that we should not be part of anything that enables people to get into debt.  We should discourage college students from getting credit cards.  We should send out children to community colleges instead of the high cost university.  We should drive the smaller car and stay in the less than elegant hotels.

So?  Live within your means and expect others to do so also.  If it is a crisis then our place is gifts not loans.  If their problem isn’t important enough to get us to simply give them what they need then it probably isn’t something that a loan will cure. 

Certainly Uncertain

(Pro 20:15 KJV)  There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

We live in uncertain times.  Realistically, most people would say that no matter when they lived.  We do not have the Blitzkrieg raging across Europe.  In spite of our panic we do not have anything even close to the Black Death spreading through out cities.  We do have a government printing all kinds of money and borrowing like there is no tomorrow.  It is getting so that no matter what plans you have made and how careful you have been, you could lose it all.

This is a reminder that there is a greater security than is found in material wealth.  There is an investment that will be more sure and have a greater pay off.  Part of that precious awareness is being rooted in an eternal God’s-eye view of today and tomorrow.  It won’t protect your IRA but it will let you sleep at night.

So?  Be a good steward of the physical assets God has put in your care.  Be an even better steward of the mind God gave you and the soul He wants to save.