Proverbs 10:3-4
Proverbs is full of verses comparing the good man with the wicked, the poor verses the rich.
3 The Lord will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.
In Psalms 37: 22-23 we read, “23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
A godly person is someone who trusts God, who respects God. Godly people still make mistakes and stumble in life, but they love God and God watches out for them.
Does this mean a godly person will never be persecuted or suffer hunger? No. Apostle Paul is a prime example of a godly man suffering for Christ. He was often physically in hunger and thirsty. But he knew God was with him. Paul says in Romans 8, “35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.”
4 Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.
Here again is a comparison, poor verses rich. Being poor or impoverished is not evil, unless it is the product of laziness. Laziness is the person who chooses not to work or who works but “cuts corners” to make the easy buck. Whereas hard workers are careful and industrious, who take care to mind their business and do honest transactions.
We can apply this to our spiritual lives also. We can be spiritually impoverished if we are negligent with our walk with Christ. However, those who are fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, are likely to be rich in faith.
Photography: @carrlosluna