Proverbs 22:1-4 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 22:1-4, which read,

v.1 - A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, favor is better than silver and gold.

This is an interesting proverb because we live in a world that if you have great wealth then you also have a good name because we put value on the wealth as the means to the end of a good name.  We value silver and gold so much that its benefits, whether good or bad, are sought after and raised up.  We have plenty of late night infomercials to promote the good life through having more money.

What is a good name?  It is not connected to wealth but to Someone else.  A good name is one who is seeking wisdom and following after God.  A good name is one who has a fear of the Lord, an awe of who He is to revere Him and to live by what is important to Him.  A good name is something to be desired so it means that you have to be active in following after God to obtain it by Him giving it to you.

v.2 - The rich and the poor have a common bond, the LORD is the maker of them all.

So a rich man or woman can have a good name and a poor man or woman can have a good name.  It is not based on what they have or don't have materially.  Each has a common Creator and that Creator is to be followed if either is to have a good name.  God is the focal point and not some other object like yourself, wealth, gold or silver.  We may live for God as a rich person or as a poor person and whatever position you are in is to be lived for Him and His glory.

v.3 - The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and we are punished for it.

The prudent are those who look ahead and see evil creeping up and take measures not to participate in it.  The naive are those who are not looking ahead and walk right into that evil and suffer the consequences. Are you prudent or naive when it comes to sin?  Do you know what evil is because you have been focusing on the holiness of God and therefore it stands out as very out of place?  Or do you not know what evil is because you have been focusing on yourself and your happiness over holiness and therefore it blends in as a means to your end of pleasing and glorifying yourself in the face of displeasing God?  We know what sin and evil are by being close to the One who is right and holy.

v.4 - The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life.

The riches here are different than the riches of verse 1.  These riches, honor and life come not from wealth or gold and silver but from the Lord.  The reward or the consequence of being humble or meek before the Lord as being busy about Him and the fear or the reverence of the Lord, which is the proper name for the one true God, brings about riches, which are a form of wealth, honor, which is a form of weighted glory, and life, which is a form of being alive about life.  I know, long sentence for all those English majors out there.  

The point is these things, reward, honor, and life are coming out of our humbleness and fear of the Lord.  He provides these to us and they are superior to the world's adaptation or attempted copies of the same.  Wealth from God comes in many forms.  Honor from God is to be above all others.  Life from God is not only everlasting but ultimately fulfilling no matter the earthly physical state we might find ourselves in.  The question for us this morning is where is our focus?  Are we focused on Him or ourselves?  A focus on self will bring somethings but they will pale in comparison to what God will bring when we keep our eyes on Him.  Remember for a short period of time, Peter could walk on the water.  Let us pray.

"Lord, the world and Satan throw at us all kinds of things to get our attention and our devotion.  Help us to continue to see You because we have renewed our minds each morning about who You are and who we are because of You.  May I be prudent today and humble and in awe of You because that's what happens when I take You seriously with all of my life.  Amen."

Pastor Adam