“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?”
Psalms 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.
Psalms 37:25-26 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
Deuteronomy 15:7-10 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.
Job 31:16-20 “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow), if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering,
Proverbs 24:30-34 I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 18:9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.
Romans 12:11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Proverbs 24:27 Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Ephesians 5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
There a few of points I take home from today’s verses. Use time wisely. Give thought and prepare for the tasks at hand. Take care of what God has provided. Look carefully at our walk (application of God’s word in our life). Give to the needy. Be generous. Serve the Lord. Help the poor, fatherless, and widow. We need to be mindful of how we spend our time, resources, and what we spend it on. If it is only about gaining riches, we fail. If it is only about what can be gained with the least amount of effort, it’s a waste. If it is not with the intent to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey God, it is to our destruction. Listen to what God says to your heart and mind in His word. Desire and learn to hear His quiet small voice of leading and directing you for His honor.