‘The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich.’ Proverbs 10:22 NLT
There are about 500 Bible verses on prayer, and more than 2000 on handling money and possessions. It’s a make-or-break issue! It’s no surprise that money-related issues are often cited as a reason for relationship break-ups. And there’s good reason for this: money and stress often go hand in hand. The Bible says, ‘The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich.’ Not only does God expect us to make money, but when we honour Him, He will help us to make more. But there is a right and a wrong way to do it.
The Bible teaches that money should come by hard work. ‘Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.’ (Proverbs 10:4 NIV)
‘Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labour will increase.’ (Proverbs 13:11 NKJV)
God expects those who ‘labour’ to give a good day’s work, just as He expects those in management to pay a good day’s wage. Both employees and employers are to make money. Employees help employers make a profit, while employers help employees make a salary. A profit well-earned and a salary honestly made are both pleasing to the Lord. But your money must also be made by honest work. ‘He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches… will surely come to poverty.’ (Proverbs 22:16 NKJV)
That’s a warning to those who rip people off. God is against any form of fraud or manipulation. ‘False weights and unequal measures—the Lord detests double standards of every kind.’ (Proverbs 20:10 NLT) God makes it plain: winners never cheat, and ultimately He will make sure cheaters never win!
SoulFood: 2 Kings 16:1–18:16, Matt 19:15–30, Ps 139:1–6, Pro 13:21–23
word4today an adaptation of The Word For Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2023
