The Righteous Thrive

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

Proverbs 11:28 (NIV)

The first part of this proverb doesn’t warn against having money, it warns us against putting our trust in money. The definition of to put your trust is “to put confidence in, to feel secure or safe in, to have your hope in.”

Benjamin Franklin has a reputation for being wise about money; remember, he is the one who said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” But he also understood the dangers of money and warned, “He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.”

So, ladies, are you are going through financial trouble right now? Maybe you’re afraid, insecure. You’re depressed. You and your husband are arguing. You’re angry—maybe even angry at God. When our emotional security is too tightly linked to our financial security, then if our finances crumble, so do we. We fall, and we often drag others down in our tailspin.

Personally, I think we’re going to go through some more hard years. Our economy is not going to recover quickly. Actually Elijah the prophet prayed for a time of drought—no rain for his country. Why? Because Elijah longed for revival. And revival doesn’t usually come in times of prosperity. So back to the question: What or whom do you put your trust in? Corrie ten Boom, who survived a concentration camp, made a remarkable statement. She said, “You will never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

“The righteous will thrive like a green leaf” is our promise for the day. Righteousness here does not mean sinless perfection. It merely describes those who chose to walk uprightly. I have known plenty of godly people who don’t have much money, but their lives are rich with the fruit of the Spirit. As we read the list of fruit in Galatians 5:22-23, let’s pray that God will help us thrive with such spiritual richness. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (NKJV).

One Year Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Luke 6:39–7:10; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11:28