Editorial April 20, 1974 Issue

Riches Without Wings

Naomi Price

When prices rise or commodities are scarce, it is comforting to remember that on several occasions the Bible promises us that if we trust in God for our supply we shall always have enough of everything we need. It is to be noted that it doesn't say we shall necessarily have a lot of money or an excessive accumulation of material things. It indicates that we shall never lack a single good or necessary thing required to sustain a happily fulfilled and satisfying existence.

There is, of course, a difference between merely having a large amount of money in the bank or a lot of material possessions and being truly rich. Probably we can all think of people of modest means who are rich in experience and happiness, and materially rich people who are wretchedly poor in their hearts and lives. And today it must be obvious to us all that money is an unstable commodity in which to trust. Its value diminishes annually, and the things we buy with it often disappoint us. Most housewives would probably agree with the wise author of the book of Proverbs when he comments, "Riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven."^{Prov. 23:5;}

This wise man also says if we have wisdom and understanding we shall have riches and honor that will last. That is to say, if our human consciousness is attuned to the love and affluence of God through true wisdom, we shall have "durable riches and righteousness."^8:18; And God, the divine Mind, gives us this wisdom and understanding freely. We are not alone, laboring to get these qualities through our own efforts. We read that God tells us, "I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures."^{vv. 20, 21;}