Temporary Income

(Prov 16:16 NASB) How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

Here Solomon plainly tells us that earthly riches are not to be compared to divine wisdom and understanding. Now, it’s easy for someone who does not have money and has never had significant amounts of it to speak against it. I hear that all the time. However, you don’t normally hear those with significant sums of money downplaying the benefits of wealth.

The wealthy understand, firsthand, how wealth can be used to make a difference (whether good or bad). The same can be said for the wisdom of God. I hear many people discount the wisdom of God, but that is only because they don’t possess it. I have never heard anyone, who walks in the wisdom of God, downplay the benefits of divine counsel and insight. The point is that people are not truly qualified to discuss what they have no working knowledge of. Solomon, on the other hand, is more fully qualified to discuss both divine wisdom and wealth.

Solomon was the richest and wisest man of his time.

Let me give you a little background on Solomon. Solomon was young when he took over the throne from his father David. He was concerned about assuming such a great responsibility (being king) at such a young age. The Lord spoke to him through a dream and said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." This was Solomon’s golden opportunity. He was young, in charge, somewhat afraid, so he sought help from God.

God told him what we all want to here, “Ask for whatever you want!” Now, you know that most of us would have started rattling off a list of selfish desires, but young Solomon was different. He said,

“Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong… The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings” (see 1st Kings 3).

WOW! Since Solomon did not ask for selfish desires, but rather the wisdom to lead, the Lord promised to give him wisdom like no one before or after him and riches as well! Solomon received both and he was enjoying both at the time of this writing.

Solomon had wisdom and riches and as he thought about both he told us that wisdom is not just greater, but far greater. He tells us this with assurance and conviction. I like the way the Message Bible paraphrase of this verse reads. It says,

“Get wisdom—it's worth more than money; choose insight over income every time.”

So what does this mean to you ? It means you can lose money and get it back, if you have wisdom. But if you lose wisdom you will lose the money and the ability to ever recover. So thank God for money, but never compromise His standard, nor your character to attain it. If choosing God’s standard costs you money, that’s fine, you will get that money back (multiplied). But if choosing money costs you God’s standard, then you may enjoy the money in the short term, but you will lose BIG TIME in the long term.

Father, I declare, right now, by faith, that You are my LORD and You are the ONLY LORD over my life. Money is my servant, not my master. I never compromise Your standard or my character to attain money. Even when I know that choosing Your Word, will, and way, will cost me financially, I choose to take the short term loss and maintain Your grace and favor, then to take the short term gain and to lose Your anointing on my life. Since I pursue You instead of money, I know that money will pursue me and I won’t ever have to worry about it. In Jesus’ name. Amen!