One of the deepest human needs is to have a sense of security. All of us want to feel like we’re on solid ground. The real issue however, is where we seek that security from. I’m working through Proverbs and Proverbs 10:15 says…

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

This proverb is very interesting. I’m not going to pretend that I fully understand the intent of the author, but I do have some ideas. In some ways, wealth can be a fortified city. There is no denying the fact that having significant financial resources provides a certain amount of buffer between you and the storms of life. That being said, monetary wealth does not equate to security in life. The reason for this is that wealth can go away. Now more so than ever people understand that the economy can change quickly. If wealth is our only hope for security, we will surely be left wanting.

“…poverty is the ruin of the poor.” Poverty is simply defined as being without adequate food and money according to the Dictionary. There are two kinds of poverty that I can think of that really determine how we see this proverb. Sometimes people are lacking because of really bad decisions that they keep on making. These people are not victims and while you may be able to argue that they are a slave to their own bad habits, they are responsible for seeking growth when it comes to time and financial management. There is another kind of poverty that is far more heartbreaking. This is the kind of poverty where people simply don’t have enough food, water, money and shelter because of factors far outside the realm of their control. There just isn’t enough rain. There isn’t a reliable water source. There aren’t enough animals to feed the tribe. You get the picture. This is the kind of poverty that the Church must rally behind. As Christians, we should not be OK with many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world dying because of preventable factors.

Even with how fleeting wealth is and how horrible real poverty is, true security is not found in the presence or absence of wealth. True security can only be found in God. As our Pastor at Seacoast sometimes says, I’ve never seen a U-Haul following a hearse. None of us can take our stuff with us. The old saying that “he who dies with the most toys wins” couldn’t be more wrong. True security comes from knowing that we are God’s children. It comes from knowing that he has our present life and the next life bound up in the palm of his hand. It is only there that we can find a sense of confidence and peace that transcends the transiency of this life.

Where do you find your sense of security?