Proverbs 13:11 seems like a hopeful pipe dream. Unless, of course, you've acquired wealth dishonestly.

This proverbs reads:

Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

I think we all have lived in the real world long enough to know that dishonest wealth does not always dwindle right before our eyes, but before we start commiserating and licking our wounds, let's look at this verse with eternity in mind. In the end, all wealth will dwindle.

Why then pick on "dishonest wealth?" I think the Proverbial author is onto something else.

We live in a world with a built-in justice system. In God's vernacular, we all reap what we sow. In other words, we may get away with dishonest gain for a while, but eventually it catches up to us. Sometimes, it gets us in the wide open spaces with many onlookers. At other times, it sneaks up on us from behind and takes us unaware. One day, a man is on top of the world and the next he finds himself lying under it with legs bent up like pretzel sticks. But rest assured, a man living on this planet will, at some point, get his comeuppance. And if he doesn't, God has His reason why.

The flipside to this Proverb is behind the comma. What is earned through hard work (and honesty) will be multiplied.

There are times when it appears that evil is winning. But we should know that God is in control. He will reward the just and punish wicked, if not in this life then on the Day of Judgment.

Judgement will fall on us all. Are you diligent in your work? Do you strive for excellence or seek to "cheat the system?" Take some time today to meditate on how you approach work, and building wealth.

Allen Taylor is the author of I Am Not the King.

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