“He who has an evil eye hastens after riches, and knows not that poverty shall come upon him.” Proverbs 28:22
Devotional Thought For The Day
This proverb does not make immediate common sense; the one who is working hard and fast to become wealthy is far more likely to become rich and avoid “want” and poverty. However, as the commentators point out, there is a great deal of truth to this biblical assertion. One puts it this way: “The covetous temper leads not only to dishonesty, but to the “evil eye” of envy; and the temper of grudging, carking care, leads him to poverty.” [Barnes] Another observes: “They have no comfort in it: They have an evil eye, that is, they are always grieving at those that have more than they, and always grudging their necessary expenses, because they think the former keep them from seeming rich, the latter from being so, and between both they must needs be perpetually uneasy. They have no assurance of the continuance of it, and yet take no thought to provide against the loss of it.” [Henry] Still another writes: “As a rule there is connected with envy a passionate endeavor to raise oneself to an equal height of prosperity with the one who is the object of envy; and this zeal, proceeding from an impure motive, makes men blind to the fact that thereby they do not advance, but rather degrade themselves, for no blessing can rest on it; discontentedness loses, with that which God has assigned to us, deservedly also that which it has.” [Keil & Delitzsch] Deep words worthy of reflection.
It is not wrong to want to have good things – Scripture everywhere assumes that this is the case with human beings, and even assures us that God wants us to have good things. The problem is with the infection of sin and what it does to our inner life of spirit and our behavior. Good things are not enough, my pride must be stroked and established by my wealth; I need more than all others. It is not enough to become wealthy over the course of a lifetime of hard work, I want it now and I want it fast, with as little labor as possible. All of this leads to dangerous distortion and the disintegration of the human spirit, and the loss of all genuine happiness and blessedness. And when is envy stilled, once it has been stoked and taken over? And so long as envy is prominent, perhaps even controlling, unwise and inordinate risk are grievous temptations – and many a fortune has been lost on that one last desperate bet. Likewise, the law generally always catches up to those who cut corners and engage in illegality to hasten the accumulation of their fortune. And what good is wealth when one is unable to stop to enjoy it? And how can one enjoy what is improperly gained and at risk of being lost? Guilt is an ugly worm to have to live with.
The opposite of this foolishness has been presented in the immediate preceding proverbs: “Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered . . . Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread . . . A faithful man will abound with blessings. [Prov. 28:18-20] So the encouragement of God’s Word is to work hard, to walk in integrity and honesty [seeking the good and welfare of others rather than wealth], and to remain faithful to God [putting our trust in Him, being thankful for whatever level of blessings He provides, and being content with our place in life, pleased to be able to serve Him]. Such a person is able to enjoy work, to enjoy such things in life that he has, and to remain in peace and joy in his relationships to God and others. He understands that far greater blessings await God’s children in that place where there is no sin, sorrow, grief, threat, or need. Of course, all of this is produced through the knowledge of God’s love – His gracious forgiveness and mercy which cleanses away our sin and guilt, His promises to be with us and to work all things together for our blessedness, and His assurances of the good things yet to come to those who live by faith.
It is a rather amazing thing that with such spiritual blessings of faith and trust in God’s love one person lives a rich, happy, and abundant life with relatively little wealth or possessions, while another has great wealth and possessions but very little happiness and a spirit that is shrunken, distorted, misshaped, perverted, and corrupt. But we know these things to be so, for we have observed them often enough. So let us heed the warnings of God’s Word and also what He encourages, that we may have what we really desire and what God desires for us, the peace, joy, happiness, and contentment of living close to God in His love, a life of true decency and good. It is for this that Christ died for us, and rose again, and why He has given us His Word and His Spirit.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, forgive us for capitulating to the sinful and perverse desires that arise in our hearts, and lead us to the wisdom of Your gracious love. Grant us ambition to work for good, to do Your will, and patience to receive the good that You will for us to have. Make us content and happy in our eternal inheritance rather than in earthly wealth, pride, and conceit. You alone have the power to work these things within us; we pray that You would grant them to us. Amen.