Reading your Bible for Today November 20

November 20: Proverbs 16:16-17

KJV Key Verse: Proverbs 16:16
16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

Devotion:
No matter how much we think about money and how it can get us into bad situations, I'm sure we all would love to be in the position of not having to worry about the stuff! We go to school so we can learn about things which will essentially become our life. We then go to work so we can live that life with at least some food... But the starting point of it all is knowledge and wisdom.

Without wisdom we would not know when we should be listening at school. Without it, we would miss out on the things we have to learn in order for us to be successful in life later on. Without it, we don't have much of a life. But getting the balance between life and living it up can be hard because of all the temptations which surround us all the time. Without a bit of wisdom we would be sorely tempted to spend our money in manners which are not wise – before long we would either be broke or in a whole lot of trouble!

To be able to know what to expect in life is going to help us a whole lot more than a pile of money. The pile of money will run out. Knowing what to expect can help us to avoid bad situations and to seek out the things which are wise and prudent. Being able to steer clear of the evil things in life is not about having money but about having the wisdom to apply our knowledge to avoid them. Having a whole bunch of money will rather tempt others to be around us more; the sad part being the more money we have, the more evil people will be seeking us out!

Being able to rise above the greed and desperation which surrounds having money is a wisdom far too many people loose. When you have the money, you may not be too concerned about the needs of others. When you don't have the money, you can sympathise with those who need it more! Wisdom is about knowing what is good for you soul, not what is good for your belly or bank balance!

Points to Ponder:
How many 'friends' do you gain when you have money?

How much money will you be taking to heaven?