Proverbs 21.30-31
“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”
The core message of this passage is twofold:
1) No strategy of man will win against God; and,
2) No strategy of man will win without God.
No matter how politically powerful or socially popular a plan or policy might be, in the long run it will not endure unless it aligns with God’s truth. This is especially true for ideas and philosophies that directly oppose the Lord. They will have their seasons of popularity and social acceptance, but in the end they will fail. God’s truth will endure; God’s enemies will perish.
Unless aligned with God’s truth, even good plans will fail. Human preparation and strategy are called for, but one must keep in mind that these only succeed if the Lord so wills. This same message is expressed in Psalm 33:16–17: “The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—for all its strength, it cannot save you.” (New Living Translation)
This is why I continually say “trust God and do the work.” We are not called to passively sit back and ask God to magically fix the broken things and make good things happen. Nor are we called to bypass the Lord and work like crazy to accomplish things in our own power.
Rather, we are called to know the truth of God’s word, do our homework to get informed, pray diligently, trust God, and do disciplined work. It we achieve our goals, we praise God for his blessing. If we do not achieve our goals, we praise God for his blessing … and we pray for the resilience and perseverance to keep doing the work. We acknowledge the sovereignty of God before, during, and after all of our endeavors.
Proverbs 22.1
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
Personal integrity is more important than wealth and possessions. In fact, the greatest treasure you possess is your character, credibility, and reputation. Here are several reasons why a good name is more important than riches.
- A good name can be trusted.
When you have a good name you have earned the trust of people in your life, and that trust is a stabilizing factor in your relationship with them. They know what to expect from you and have confidence in your thoughts and insights. They know and trust your motives.
Those whose good name has been compromised have lost the confidence of others. People don’t trust their motives and/or methods, and having lots of money won’t change that.
- A good name endures.
Riches are fleeting. They could be with us one minute and gone the next. And of course we know that we can’t take riches with us once we leave this world at the time of our death.
A good name however is lasting. There are many men and women of history who are spoken of today with great respect. How will your legacy be remembered and portrayed by family, friends or colleagues once you are gone? Will they focus on the value of your life or only remember that you cared about yourself and your wealth?
Additionally, your character will have an influence on those around you. Your character lives on through the lives of those you influence and impact for the kingdom.
- A good name brings favor.
The ending phrase of Proverbs 22:1 says, “…favor is better than silver and gold.” As we are to seek a good name instead of riches, so we are also to seek favor over riches. People (the right people) will love and respect you for having integrity. They will appreciate you for your work ethic, kindness, generosity, courage, and support for what is right. And when you are attacked, they will stay by your side and support you.
Riches aren’t evil; there is nothing wrong with being wealthy. But a good name is better than riches, better than all the riches of the world.
