a time is coming

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

A TIME IS COMING

Prov 28:8

8 He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

NIV

There was once men who were what we might call loan sharks. It would seem this method of operation has been going on for ages. There has always been men who have had some way of using their money to lend it out to those in need of cash, but at an interest rate which would make it near impossible for the borrower to ever repay the debt completely or to pay it at great cost. Sometimes the lender would take property instead of money for payment thus making the poor even poorer. Of course today we do not have those evil loan sharks in our common day occurrences. Although they may well exist in some circles or independent communities or various ethnicities. However we do have the common loan shark who goes by the name of credit card. Some store cards charge as high as twenty-four to twenty-six percent interest. That would, by the standard of this proverb be exorbitant interest to increase their own wealth. We also have a multitude of banks who are in the same category of overcharging interest rates to increase their net worth or wealth. It is a fact that if the person borrowing money via one of this lenders only pays the minimum amount required the debt will never be paid off. That would seem to fit this proverb meaning very well. We certainly would not be in the position of the one who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest for we are not people of great wealth to start with. However we certainly can relate the other side of the coin. It is nearly impossible to not rely on credit at some point in life, if for nothing else, a home and/or a car. Seldom our society works on a one hundred percent cash basis method. Yet the idea of this proverb is those individuals or in our modern era, companies overcharge interest, they will be held accountable by God, if no other. It would seem doubtful that their great wealth would be taken from them by another person who then shares it all with the poor people. But surely God is going to share his great wealth with those who are poor in spirit. We will enjoy the eternal city of New Jerusalem with its streets of gold and twelve gates, each made from a single pearl. We will enjoy the fruit of the trees that never stop bearing fruit. We will be able to walk in the cool of the day with our Lord, just as Adam did in the Garden of Eden. We will be able to enjoy, once again, seeing the lamb lay down next to the lion. All will be at peace, and our joy will be complete. But what of the wealth of this world? What of the great wealth of these lenders who have amassed great fortunes off the backs of the common people? All their wealth will be burned up, gone, evaporated into nothingness when this heaven and earth are done away with. We may or may not see it in our earthly lifetime, but in our eternal life we will witness the fulfillment of this prophetic proverb. Let us simply put our trust in him, our reward awaits us, even in this life, but surely in our eternal one. Yet over and over again we are admonished not to trust in the flesh, or the way of the world, it will bring a curse. But we are told that if we trust in the Lord we will bear much fruit, we will flourish even in difficult times. Our leaves, our lives will always remain green. Life in the Lord is good. Let us continue to trust in him. This is not to say we should not be wise in our money matters, but to be wise may mean to trust God. Let us be careful of the lenders who would take advantage of us. Let us be wise in how we use their offers to help us. Who should we really be in debt to? It is difficult at times to refuse their offers to lend. But a time in coming when all of this will end.