October 19 – Proverbs 21:20; 3:9-10; 15:16
Main Focus: Money: Saving vs Indulgence
Proverbs 21:20-21
“Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.”
True wealth is achieved by wisdom and lost by folly, but verse 21 speaks of pursuing righteousness and kindness; 22:1 teaches that one should choose a good name (emblematic of being a righteous and kind person) over wealth.
Proverbs 3:9-10
“Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
Honoring the Lord means that all wealth is to be used only for righteous, just, and equitable purposes (“in all your ways acknowledge him,” v.6). It begins with offering the first fruits of everything to the Lord. To give the first fruits is to imply that the whole belongs to God, indeed the whole worshiper. The prosperity described in verse 10 is the blessing of the covenant, a kind of restored Eden. Your barns will be filled with plenty is a generalization concerning the effect of honoring the Lord with all that one has and is.
Proverbs 15:16
“Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.”
“A little with the fear of the Lord” refers to having enough to meet your basic needs while living a life of reverence, awe, and obedience to God. “Than great treasure and trouble with it”: This contrasts the spiritual contentment mentioned above with a large fortune that is accompanied by anxiety, conflict, and a lack of inner peace.
Discussion questions
– According to Proverbs 3:9-10, what does it mean to honor the Lord with your wealth? And what does “honoring the Lord with your wealth” or giving of your “firstfruits” look like for our lives today? How might this look for you personally?
– How does the call to honor God with our wealth challenge or connect with modern views on materialism and personal possessions (e.g., cars, homes, technology, savings)?
– We are called to be stewards because everything belongs to God. How does giving impact your financial decisions with your finances? How has giving felt to you in the past? Has it ever felt like an act of worship?
– Read Proverbs 15:16. What does it mean to have “the fear of the LORD” in your own words? How does this fear affect your daily decisions, like how you spend money?
– What is “great treasure with turmoil” (or “anxiety”)? Can you think of examples from your own life or history where wealth caused more stress than peace?
– How can we apply the principle of “better a little with the fear of the Lord” to our lives today? What are the practical steps to cultivate contentment with “a little” and trust more in God’s provision rather than personal accumulation of wealth?
– When has God provided for you in a tangible way? How did that experience impact your trust in Him? How can we cultivate a deeper trust in God with our financial matters?