DAY 33: Saving for the future

Reading: Proverbs 21:1-8
‘The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to
poverty.’ v5

 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
    that he channels toward all who please him.

 A person may think their own ways are right,
    but the Lord weighs the heart.

 To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
    the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

 The plans of the diligent lead to profit
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

 A fortune made by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
    for they refuse to do what is right.

 The way of the guilty is devious,
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
Here is the contrast between those who take the long-term view
and those who look for ‘get rich quick schemes’. The saying goes
that ‘if a scheme looks too good to be true, then it probably is’, so
beware. As Christians, it is right to save and plan for the future.
Whether that is saving towards major purchases and thereby not
taking on burdensome debt, or to prepare for the day when we cease
to earn our living. It should not be the defining aspect of our lives.
If we recognise that all that we have comes from God, then He has
entrusted us with a level of riches that He knows we can cope with,
one in which we can find contentment and enjoyment.
The aim, as wise stewards of all that God has given us, is to spend
less than we earn and invest that income. That is not always possible,
especially in an era when wages are frozen or reduced and costs
continue to rise. But what we can do is avoid trusting in foolish
speculation, or anything that is poor stewardship of all that God has
gifted and entrusted to us.

 For Further Reading: Proverbs 30:7-9 - the writer's prayer about money.
To Ponder: As you review your personal and household budget, what could
be saved each month if you adjusted your spending?
To Pray: Lord Jesus, help me to be content with the situation I am in,
yet mindful of the need to plan for the future. May I be a wise
steward of all that you have given me. Amen.

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