Foundations Not Foo-Foo

(Proverbs 13:7 KJV)  There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

We have some compound words here that are interpreted in the translating.  It almost seems like paraphrasing because of the construction.  In the Hebrew you have only “rich” (6238) and “poor” (7326) with no “pretends,” but both words are verbs.  We have actions which imply gaining or losing wealth but each one is contradicted by the following.  You have those gathering riches with “nothing” (369/3605) and those in want that have “wealth” (1952).   To us we have what might seem incomplete sentences, “rich with nothing, poor with everything.”

I think this is an OT version of the words of Jesus,

(Mark 8:36 KJV)  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

What is the focus of your life?  Is it real or mirage?  People spend there time working toward a goal or a dream.  It might be a stereotype recipe for disaster such as wealth at all costs.  It might be more worthy such as a strong family or a growing church.  Either way it just doesn’t seem to be enough to make life meaningful.  When my kids were young and I would ask myself why I was getting up and going to work, all I had to do was look in their rooms and see them sleeping to remind myself.  Now they are grown and doing well on their own, that does not work any more.  I need to move beyond that to a new focus.  Ideally I would have had that focus from the beginning but I am not sure I did.

The new focus is that of the person who seems to be insignificant but lives with the joy of the super successful.  This is the person who truly knows the joy of the Lord.  This is what I am seeking today as I go through my schedule.  This is the focus I seek as I spend time in worship in the morning.  This is what I want Proverbs to remind me of.

So?  Each day renew your focus.  Put your eyes on Jesus.  God created the world without your help.  He can probably keep it going another 24 hours.  What He wants is your undiluted love.  What He wants to see is a human being living out the image of God in daily life.  Rejoice where you are.  You have the riches of eternity.  Enjoy the bounty.