Walking with the Wise #270: The Trust Factor

“A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.”
—Proverbs 17:8

Bribes, favors and kickbacks grease the wheels of business and power. But is it right? Of course not! But that is how the world works—right? At first reading, this proverb seems to commend exactly that, giving a little to get ahead. But we must understand this scripture in relation to others that speak about the same subject, such as Proverbs 15:27, which says,

“Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.”

Taking Proverbs 15:27 with 17:8 we can see today’s proverb making a general observation—whoever offers bribes to people finds some measure of success. In essence, it’s magical, because it enables him to get what he wants. But, when we look deeper and read 17:8 in light of 15:27 we can see that the person who gives bribes may initially prosper; he will, however, in the long run, trouble his family. It is only those who hate bribes who will find true and lasting success, and navigate safely away from trouble.

The question of bribery ultimately comes down to trust. Whom do you trust? Are you willing to wait and rely upon God? Or do you take matters into your own hands because God is not operating on your timetable? Think of Abraham for a moment. God promised him a land and a people to come from the union of him and his wife Sarah. But time passed, they both aged, and God’s promise had not yet come to fruition, so Abraham took matters into his own hands, by taking Sarah’s servant, Hagar, as a wife and getting her pregnant. When the time came for Hagar to give birth, she sat between Sarah’s legs, in essence acting as a surrogate for Sarah, enabling Sarah then to claim the child as her own. Though clever, God would have none of it—He made sure that Abraham knew that it was to be a natural child that came from Sarah’s own body—no surrogate needed. God was faithful, and Abraham did have a son, Isaac, who was the child of promise, but Isaac’s birth came as a direct result of God’s promise, a tangible reminder to Abraham, Sarah and all who follow that when God promises something, He delivers it. We must simply rest in His promise.

Are you trusting in the Lord? Are you resting in the knowledge of Him? Or are you attempting to take matters into your own hands? Rest in Him, dear one; He is not slack concerning His promises, but is doing something in you for His glory and your joy. Amen.