October 28

Oct 28 - Today from Proverbs 28 we look at verse 20
"A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished."

Beginning with chapter 25 we are in the section of Proverbs specifically compiled for leaders, but the principles are applicable to all. In today's verse, we are once again confronted with motives in life.
This is a proverb of contrast. Here we see a faithful man, and a man eager to get rich. They cannot be of the same heart, for the consequences of their motives are clearly at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Thus we quickly conclude that a man who is eager to get rich will not be a faithful man. This little mirror in life is meant for us to reflect our own heart, so that we might get an accurate assessment of ourselves. What indeed is our true character?
Motives. There are some Teachers out there today who put forth a very appealing teaching from the scriptures that if we properly formulate our faith, we will become prosperous beyond our dreams. There is still at least one TV evangelist who constantly focuses on the assumption that the 'good news' is realized in miracles of healing and in gaining material prosperity. I come upon his program periodically, and I may watch and listen for ten or fifteen minutes to see how much of the 'good news' that Jesus preached is included in this evangelist's message. I seldom hear it, and when I do, it is almost always contaminated with an appeal to the miraculous in the material realm. These Teachers always start with the premise of the first half of today's verse. They always keep the premise of the second half out of the picture. This particular evangelist makes an appeal to his listeners every week for a 'faith commitment' of $1000 to his ministry. He then shows numerous testimonies from people who have already sent in their thousand dollars, and how God did some great miracle of healing or prosperity in their lives. The only one I see getting ‘prosperous’ is the evangelist.
The motive of the faithful man is to be faithful. Faithful to God's leading. Faithful in discipleship. Faithful to selflessly love and serve others. The faithful apostle Paul said "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." (Philippians 3:8). This great apostle never made an appeal to his audience to 'sow into his ministry' in order that they might receive a material blessing from God. He knew that would be appealing to the base nature of man - a stumbling block in discipleship. He constantly called his audience to be faithful; to know Christ and to love and serve others. Even the Teacher of this proverb did not offer material riches as a reward. He simply says the faithful will be richly rewarded. For Paul the rich reward was "the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Phillipians 3:9). It was an inner joy that even the most damp and darkest of prisons could not extinguish. It was an inner peace that even shipwrecks, persecutions and beatings could not extinguish. It was an inner assurance that even betrayal, rejection and isolation could not extinguish. Paul's rich reward was to attain the character of the One he loved and served with his all, the Lord Jesus Christ.
A man cannot be eager to get rich and be faithful to the Lord at the same time. Jesus tells us it is impossible to serve two masters. One will always have dominion over the other in the heart. It doesn't take Christian faith to increase in the riches of this world. It takes Christian faith to let go of them. This is done in one's heart before God. It is a surrender of all self-serving control. It is not done once - but on a daily basis. Only then can we truly take hold of Him.