by Bruce Billington

Weekly Devotional 21st of August, 2026

In this session, we will continue examining Proverbs Chapter 13. This chapter presents a recurring contrast between the upright and the wicked. 

Proverbs 13:5 – “A righteous man hates falsehood, but a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. 6 Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, but wickedness subverts the sinner. 7  There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.”

Because the righteous love the LORD, they delight in faithfulness and value people. Mature believers love what He loves and hate what He hates. They cannot tolerate lying or anything false, whether in deeds, thoughts, words, or intentions. 

The shame and disgrace of the wicked stem from their lack of truth, their dishonesty, and their deception. Tragically, they bring shame not only upon themselves but also upon the victims or targets of their lies. 

Verse 6 - Righteousness guards the blameless in their way of life and makes them blessed because their every step is oriented towards the LORD and the well-being of his kingdom. As a result, the LORD protects their ways and frustrates the wicked's ways. 

Notably, the writer of this Proverb does not pit the ways of the righteous against those of the wicked. Rather, he holds that the Lord works within the ethical order of both and brings no blessing to the way of the wicked. The person who works with an untroubled mind walks under the shield of righteousness, which invokes the presence of God. Those who walk in wicked ways will ultimately come to shame and contempt for what they produce in their lives. 

The righteous are protected by the natural fruits of godly living. They are shielded from the dangers and consequences of a sinful lifestyle. The Lord divinely oversees those who walk in His ways. His hand shelters them from danger and trouble. He is their shield, and He protects them because they trust Him, cast their care upon Him, and live righteously (1 Peter 5:7).

 The wicked, however, are entirely vulnerable. They lack divine protection; therefore, they will be overthrown as a direct consequence of their sins. Seldom, if ever, do they escape disaster in this life; but even if they do, they will not escape God’s eternal condemnation when their life is over. 

Verse 8 – This verse warns us that appearances can be very deceiving and that things are not always what they seem. Some people pretend to be rich but are far from it; others appear to have very little but are wealthy. 

Some people of modest means live beyond their means to impress others. They are irresponsible and place themselves in financial bondage for vanity’s sake. Others with considerable wealth claim to have little and to be barely able to get by. Their sin is not that they live modestly, but that they live dishonestly and in disobedience to God’s Word. They do not give to the Lord’s work to help meet the world’s needs. They selfishly hoard their abundance rather than share with those who have legitimate needs (1 Timothy 6:17–18).

Lastly, some people who are poor in worldly possessions and wealth are spiritually rich and abundantly happy. In contrast, many rich people are spiritually bankrupt and lead miserable lives. Ultimately, true wealth is not measured by bank accounts, investments, or material possessions. Rather, it is judged by the depth of a person's relationship with God, whose blessings and promises are too wonderful to comprehend!

God bless you.