Saturday - Proverbs 19 - Worse than Poverty

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E tend to think that fiscal poverty is a bane that ranks very high on the list of worst plights in life.  Admittedly, even the Bible speaks somewhat generously (in some places) about the various kinds of ease and relief that money can buy.  "Money answers all things" (Ecclesiastes 10:19).  "Money is a defense" (Ecclesiastes 7:12).  "The rich man's wealth is his strong city" (Proverbs 10:15).  "The rich have many friends" (Proverbs 14:20): see also Proverbs 10:4 & 22).

Still, there are about as many negative perspectives to found as well.  Perhaps Paul best summarized the problematic nature of this temptation in 1^st Timothy 6:10: see also Proverbs 23:4, 28:20 & 22, Ecclesiastes 5:12 & Luke 6:24.  Even Jesus & His disciples used money.  That's life.  Still, there are certainly worse things than financial lack.

Proverbs 19 begins with this phrase, "Better is the poor..." We can say with confidence that perverted speech, foolishness, ignorance, impatience, stress, deception, being out of the good graces of someone who has power over you, rearing a foolish child, having a nagging wife, laziness, idleness, rebellion, uncontrolled anger, unbridled imaginations & cynicism are all worse than simply being out of money.  Essentially, the security of our soul & an inventory of our character is more valuable than all the wealth in the world (Matthew 16:26).  Consider Esau, Balaam, Gehazi, Achan, Ananias & Sapphira.