Trained to Hide in Christ

What are true riches? Proverbs 22:1–9 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that what is ultimately valuable to us is the fellowship and favor of God. The passage presents a profound contrast between earthly and eternal riches, asserting that divine fellowship and divine favor surpass material wealth, while affirming that both rich and poor are equally created by God and accountable to Him. True prudence is not measured by worldly foresight but by preparing for eternity in the fear of the Lord and humility, which lead to hiding in Christ as the only safe refuge from eternal judgment. The wise use of material resources is not for control or self-aggrandizement, but for generosity that indicates spiritual wealth. At the core of the passage lies the imperative to train children in the way of Christ—founded in faith, humility, and a relationship with God—so that they will never depart from it, for God's grace ensures that those He converts will be perfected in the day of Christ. We ought to assess whether our measure of how our life is going is by how things are between us and the Lord.