Proverbs 28:8
“He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.”
Whether it be organized sports, backyard fun, or family night board games, there are rules to the games that we play. Have you ever played with a cheater that gained an upper hand by playing against the rules? The one that reaches the top by stomping over others is an unjust cheat that will eventually reap the rewards of his actions. Take advantage of others, especially the poor, and God will even the scales one day.
There is much in the Mosaic law to Israel about how God’s people were to treat the poor. One of these instructions was to not charge interest to the poor so that their poverty would be increased (Exodus 22:25). There are other examples of this, but the bottom line that is repeated in different ways throughout Proverbs is to refrain from increasing your wealth at the hand of taking advantage of those that are the most vulnerable.
Work accomplished with honesty, diligence, and integrity is honorable to the Lord. It is more important to Him that you do your work with these traits than it is how much money you have in your bank account or what your portfolio looks like. Cheating your way to the top is really less about cheating others than it is cheating yourself. You may find success in the beginning, but the end will not bring what you hope that it will.
Wisdom for the Day: Success means nothing if it’s reached by deception. Have integrity in everything you do. God will always bless the right kind of labor.