Proverbs of a 42 yr. old man

A godly life makes your life rich by making you content with what you have. It allows you to enjoy blessings with no sorrow of sin added. Think about it. For many people riches and wealth destroy them because they have no restraint or self-control. Money starts to stir evil desires and passions in people worse than when they didn't have much. A great example of this was King Solomon. Starting in 1 Kings 3:3- Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. 4The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. 5That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.

7“Now, O LORD my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 8And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 9Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 12I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”15Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet. Amen. Solomon was giving so much wisdom by God that it made him wealthy and prosperous. His heart for God started for his statues and decrees. But over time we see godly contentment was far from him. In the book of Ecclesiastes, he talks about how everything is meaningless and the futility of wisdom. The greater his wisdom, the greater his grief. To increase knowledge only increased sorrow. This is because he was lacking the restraint he needed to truly enjoy blessings that come our way. Our flesh is never satisfied and the more we try to feed it the more out of control our lives become. More money more problems come when our hearts are not submitted to Gods word and the Spirit of Christ working in our hearts. Paul says in Philippians 4:12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Amen. Godliness actually is a source of great gain because it comes with contentment. A contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God. Without God in Christ working in us money will take our sinful vices and destroy us from the inside out. Lust, greed, power, envy, and jealous will empty of your wealth and leave as poor as the story of the prodigal son. He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice. Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil. Amen. These are words of wisdom we should live by. Let me close with this: Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. Amen. Beloved, I pray that in every way we may prosper and enjoy good health, as our soul also prospers. This is the kind of prosperity we need in our lives. To not store up for ourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for ourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there our heart will be also. May God bless you so richly with the Spirit of Christ that you enjoy godly contentment with all the things He has added to you. Yes, be concerned about Jesus, the kingdom in us and what has his approval. Then all these righteous things will be provided for you. Amen. Some of the best things in life are enjoyed in moderation. Godliness with contentment can do this for you.