A Poor Benefit

(Pro 18:23 KJV) The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.

“Intreaties” (supplications NASB) (8469) is used eighteen times in the OT, only here in Proverbs.  The NASB always uses “supplication” as does the KJV, except here.  As I read through the verses it seems that the one appealed to was always God.  It is something that has often been observed that poor people tend to understand their dependence on God better than the wealthy.

I have known a few people that I would consider on the edge of rich if not actually.  The ones I knew were wonderful human beings who seemed to deal with their wealth well.  A sad truth is that many people don’t.  I sometimes wonder if I was not born wealthy because I could not handle it.  When people don’t know what it is to have to economize they often begin to put their trust in the money they have invested and the material things they own.  That is the definition of materialism.  Americans are very much at risk of this because even our “poor” tend to live better than the people of most of the world.

So?  If you are one of the poor then be glad that you have a God who watches over you and hears your “supplications”.  If you have plenty don’t ever forget to be grateful.