Text: Proverbs 10:15-16 (ESV)   15 A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin. 16 The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.   THE VALUE OF HAVING WEALTH   We recognize that a wealthy person has an advantage over a poor person. But, we have to remember that his advantage is temporary and unreliable. A rich man's fortune can provide a certain amount of security. For example, if tragedy strikes and damages his house, he has the resources to repair the damage. If an enemy threatens him, he has the resources to defend himself. On the other hand, poverty can render a person helpless. He is unable to defend against an enemy or powerless to improve his lot in life. Money is not the solution for everything, of course. But it's apparent that being poor makes everything else in one’s life more difficult and challenging.   The scriptures warns us about trusting in riches instead of in God. Paul gave Timothy the responsibility to charge the rich "not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy"[1 Tim 6:17]. Is it wrong to have riches? It is, however, wrong for riches to possess us. Take for example, Joseph of Arimathea who was a rich man. He courageously demonstrated his loyalty to Jesus by providing a tomb for Jesus' burial (Luke 23:50-56].   Let’s remember the warning from Psalm 49:6-7, that is, , "Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him" Money cannot take us to heaven, "for the redemption of their souls is costly" (v. 8). In fact, it costs the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ! Even, Jesus warned us that money may keep some people out of heaven. He says, "It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mat 19:23]   It is not a sin to have the things that money can buy as long as you don't lose the things that money can't buy, that is, eternal life. Don't have any false confidence that simply because the bank account looks good you're going to live. You can't take your money with you, can you? But, you can use it today for God's glory. When you do that, you are investing it in eternity. Make your wealth eternal by letting God direct your use of it.[Mat 6:21]   Verse 16 reminds us about the result of our choices in life. The ‘wage’ here is not about money but the natural result of our actions. The pursuit of righteousness leads to life. A righteous person experiences personally what Jesus meant when He said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). However, the wicked leads a life that produces only sin (Romans 6:23). He may indulge the passions of his sin nature (1 Pet 4:2–3), but he cannot satisfy the need of his heart for an intimate relationship with God (Rev 7:15–17). Listen and FOLLOW us on our podcast ------------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram