Are You Living as the Poor, Rich Man or the Rich, Poor Man?
Why would someone who is rich pretend to be poor?
That’s the question that surfaced when I read this Proverb today:
“Some who are poor, pretend to be rich;
others who are rich, pretend to be poor.”
The word “pretend” isn’t in the original text but the root words translate to:
There is one who MAKES himself rich by accumulating things & yet has absolutely nothing;
& there is one who MAKES himself impoverished, yet has abundant sufficiency.
So there you have it:
• a poor, rich man
• a rich, poor man
The foundational Truth about poverty is this: We are ALL impoverished & in desperate need of a Savior!
We are dependent paupers in a finite world governed by our infinite God!
He is:
All powerful
Creator of all people
Sustainer of all things
…& there is one thing He gives all=> our will.
He didn’t make us robots who’re forced to follow His lead. He gives each of us a will. When it is not under bit & bridle of the Holy Spirit’s lead, our will WILL ALWAYS lead us in the opposite direction of The All Sufficient One.
The poor, rich man are many in number today. They ignore their position of dependence & are completely unaware of their sin & daily need of a Savior. Their unconscious complacency lets their will be led like a slave into the rat race of accumulating much, while impoverishing their eternal purpose. Time & talents are used to accumulate temporal treasures.
The rich, poor man, however, knows the temporality of the treasures he owns, so he wields his time, talents & subsequent treasures to accumulate wealth eternal - souls for God’s kingdom.
Jesus said blessed are the POOR in spirit for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven! When I let my spirit lead my will in submission UNDER the authority of the HOLY Spirit, I become rich eternal!
AND when I remember Whose I am, I live as royalty, knowing I need not strive to accumulate ANYTHING, because my daddy owns it all anyway, right?!
Oh, Father, remind us of our desperate need of You! Our sufficiency comes from The All Sufficient One, so we can give freely & with extravagant generosity because our daddy owns cattle on a 1,000 hills! May our lives this side of heaven ever be lived as a rich, poor man 💞
April 16th One Year Bible Readings
JOSHUA 13:1-14:15
LUKE 18:1-17
PSALM 85:1-13
PROVERBS 13:7-8