Devotional Scripture
Proverbs 21:5-6 (NIV):
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
6 A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.
Verse 5 - Prosperity begins with our thought life. Negative thinking stunts us and our circumstances, while positive thoughts and a good outlook cause us to flourish. The Bible tells us that whatever is manifested in our lives has a deeper origin, that is our hearts (Proverbs 23:7 AMP). Man is a spirit; he has a soul, and he lives in a body. Thoughts occur in the mind, but it is the spirit-man that influences the mind. The spirit within the diligent person fuels his thoughts and brings forth creativity. He learns all that he can to better himself and his life. He considers how to work more efficiently and considers practical and serious matters. His thoughts lead to prosperity.
Many non-Christians are extremely diligent, while many Christians are not diligent at all. This should not be. Christians should be diligent to seek God and to walk in His ways, becoming diligent also in practical matters. When "born again," we are given a new nature, by which we have access to the Holy Spirit, and the mind of Christ. The devil will try to tempt us by putting evil ideas in our minds and tempting us through our old natures. But in Him, we have the power to cast down imaginations and bring our thoughts captive to Christ. Thereby we put the devil to flight (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
The Lord told Solomon that He would bless him so that he would have an inheritance for his children, if he would serve God with a perfect heart and a willing mind (1 Chronicles 28:9). Since we are diligent to follow God, He will guide our thoughts so that we will prosper in all our ways. Those who are impatient to gain wealth only bring themselves to poverty. This principle is illustrated by gambling. Gamblers waste their money on attempts to become rich quickly. Instead of pondering how to better themselves, they constantly speculate on new strategies or invest in "get-rich-quick" schemes. They squander money that could have been invested wisely, and thus they only end up robbing from themselves.
Verse 6 - Unscrupulous methods of trying to get wealth by lying will lead a person down a path to death. The Bible tells us that we will reap what we sow. A modern expression is "what goes around, comes around." If a person lies, others will lie to him. Thieves tend to run with thieves, and liars with liars. There is no honor among thieves; since they are ultimately looking out for their own advantage; and some will not even stop at murder to get their desires.
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for giving us Your guidelines for every area of our lives. We know that when we follow Your ways and keep Your commandments we will enjoy blessings in this life. Lord, help us to be honest in all of our dealings with money so that we will be blessed. Forgive us when we have put money into the wrong things. Lord, forgive those who have stolen from us and taken advantage of us. We look to You to restore what was lost. Help us to be wise and not be tricked into using our money in the wrong ways. May we use our money and resources to not only take care of our responsibilities, but to also give, to help others and to help get the gospel out to others. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
