Wealth won’t make you flourish.

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

Proverbs 11:28

Sometimes it seems as if the truth of this proverb is being challenged. In the world, the rich seem to get away with breaking the rules to their advantage, getting more and more of what they want, and frankly, just getting richer. Even during the wild economic downturn of 2020, the worst of economies since the Great Depression, the richest people are just getting richer. They aren’t changing anything really. So what’s going on with this proverb if that is the case?

First, I notice that the proverb places the fate of the one who worships wealth in the future tense. The one who trusts in his riches will fall. There are present realities that look differently, but because God is fair, just, and will not be mocked, the one who trusts in his riches and not in God, will fall! I must by faith trust God will indeed do just as He has said. I have no reason to doubt this based on everything else good and gracious God has done for me.

Notice also the promise that is made to the righteous person who trusts in God: they will flourish like a healthy plant. This has nothing to do with economies or social status. God didn’t say: I will make the righteous rich instead. No. They will grow and get what they need just like the vegetation that covers the earth. This sustenance has nothing to do with economies or social standing. God sees the heart of those who worship Him. God cares for His righteous ones. God will help them to flourish as they trust Him. It has nothing to do with money and everything to do with faithful dependence and love for His people.

So I will trust that it is my faith in Jesus that leads me to any chance of thriving at life. I reject this world’s vision of trusting in wealth, in building my own money management scheme that I put my security into, and in faithful dependence I will trust God to help me thrive, waiting like His green leaf for His water, soil, and weather to build me as I am planted by faith. God will cause me to thrive as He sustains me so that I can steward what He provides so that His kingdom flourishes like a green leaf as I live under God’s great provision!