Never go hungry?

Day 3.

10:3 The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

Proverbs are gritty observations on life; they are not universal truths to be applied to every situation. Are we really going to say that righteous people have never starved in famines? Are we really saying that the cravings of the wicked are always thwarted? That’s just not the case, famines kill the righteous as well as the wicked, and whilst I’ve no doubt there are many cases of God’s providence at work for which we must praise him there are many times when Christians do go hungry.

But of course if we think deeper we can ask the question what is the final destination of the righteous and the wicked? Ultimately the righteous will be with Him; as Revelation 21;4 says  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” And ultimately the wicked will be cast from His presence. This side of the return of Christ there will be times of blessing and times of pain, the other side joy unspeakable. So yes, two paths only for the father's son, two ways to live life; which will you choose?

On the fiddle.

Day 2.

10:2 Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,
but righteousness delivers from death.

One mark of a foolish son is moral ambiguity. Ill-gotten treasures can be anything from outright stealing, fiddling a tax return, cheating on benefits and a whole host of other things. In some cultures corruption is the norm and when you have corruption in high places it trickles down, everybody is doing it. How do we resist such a culture? In Matthew 5 v13-16 Jesus talks about being salt and light; salt stops the rot and light shines in dark places. A simple no might cause you problems because it highlights another’s sinfulness but it might also make them think.

Of course you could easily argue that the writer is wrong here. £100 gained honestly has just as much value as the same amount acquired dishonestly, Ill-gotten treasures are still treasure, they still buy the same amount of things, but of course it's the contrast that speaks to us; righteousness delivers from death. The father is teaching his son the value of eternal treasures rather than financial management principles. We're not building bank accounts on earth but laying up treasure in heaven. Eternity is in view.

Matthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.