Posted on 10/12/2022 8:44:27 PM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:11).
“Vanity” is a carnal motive, a carnal reasons—fleshly desire. A useless thing, like a “vanity” table where you sit for hours and keep making yourself up while you are falling apart. That is vanity. Vanity is combing the har that isn’t there, just folding it over the top of our heads.
We are here talking about wealth gotten by worldly means and not godly means shall be diminished. This shows us that a Christian that has become rich by the right means has no reason to be condemned. There is no reason that we should look upon a rich Christian as someone that is out of the will of God—yet some people do. They think, “What worldly thing did you do? In what way did you compromise your beliefs, to get all that wealth?” Look, God has given some people riches—and it is just zealously to think we can judge them without knowing the circumstances, and frankly, it’s really none of our business.
The general truth is that God doesn’t give most people riches—and thank God that He doesn’t—riches generally ruin a person. Christ said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23). It’s hard for a rich man to get over his riches.
“but he that gathereth by labour shall increase,” he’ll appreciate it—take care of it. It is still true, “easy come, easy go,” but a living earned through sweat and labor is appreciated and not squandered. These folks learn to live under their means. When money comes hard, folks are wise about their investments, folks think twice about where they put their money. They don’t just throw their money away.
“Hope deferred,” or put off “maketh the heart sick,” hope in the Bible is not just some kind of wishful thinking. Hope is an expectation, or definite reality, that hasn’t shown up yet.
“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” (Romans 8:24).
“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12).
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy” (I Thessalonians 2:19-20).
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Christians are heartsick over the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ hasn’t returned for His church yet. They’ve lain loved ones in the earth that had hoped they would be alive when He came, but it was not to be. But bless God they’ll be the first to go when He does return. Hope deferred is discouraging.
“. . . but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life,” one day, the desire of the believer is going to come.
“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalms 37:4).
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