give careful attention to your herds;
for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
You will have plenty of goats’ milk
to feed you and your family
and to nourish your servant girls. - Prov. 27:23-27 NIV
Most of us no longer have flocks of sheep, goats, or cattle that we tend, but we are tasked with tending those who provide for us. It may be tending our parishioners, our patients, our students, or our employees, but they all require careful attention. More than once, I have witnessed the folly when a businessman or owner suddenly realizes that he can grasp wealth or fame at the expense of those who are in his employ. He rides to success on the backs of those who worked for him and leaves them behind when his goal is reached. Whatever riches and success he may have gained at their expense will never satisfy as much as the loyalty and dedication of those who supported him when he was nothing. Often, in spite of a great accumulation of wealth and power, those that climb to the top on the backs of others, find themselves left with nothing of value. As the wise man says, riches do not endure forever.
2010 Post - Proverbs 26-27: As Iron Sharpens Iron
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