Proverbs 10:15, benefits of wealth

15 A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.


Wealth matters. Wealth determines how you are effected by the world. The severity of this might be lost on us because even the most poor in our culture are not completely ruined by their poverty. This is not how it has been in the history of the world nor is it the way it is in the most poor parts of our world. Just look at the recent earthquake in Haiti.

A strong city can protect, there are walls, water, homes, roads, trade, the sum of it's parts is greater than the whole.  The city is also a refuge for many. For the rich man wealth is a blessing to his family but how many cities do you know where only one family lives there?  Many are gathered and cared for there.

There is the possibility that a strong city can become an idol, the story of Babel makes this very clear to us. Beware of placing our hopes in anything other than the living God.

Immediately upon reading this verse my mind makes the connection.  The strong city is just the place the poor need to reside in order to avoid ruin. Spiritualize this and we know that the Lord is a strong tower, he can provide this for us. Yet after living in poverty and working with the poor I recognize there is a need for the wealthy to commit their resources to these people.  It is our duty but it is also our blessing. The grace that we have been shown spiritually as well as financially should be shared with gratitude, one beggar sharing bread with another.