Proverbs 28:6A poor person who walks in his integrity is better than one who is perverse in his ways even though he is rich.Proverbs Daily is reader and listener-supported. Every post is free, but if you'd like to help spread the message and make the sacred positively contagious, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Just look for the word 'Upgrade' and click it! Thanks in advance.I’ll never forget a night deep in the South—Hattiesburg, Mississippi. ( Shout out to all my folks in Hattiesburg) After a ministry event, I was kicking it with a small crew of people. We were just breaking things down and just having a good time. Not a dollar to our name—but the laughter? Rich. Pure. Deep from the belly you know what I’m saying? And full of soul. It wasn’t performative. It was real. It was alive.And then I contrast that with another memory of that same time: A private gathering of the financiers and fundraisers from that same event. Everyone had something—businesses, land, planes, portfolios… But the laughter there in that place? It echoed like an empty hallway. Nervous. Rehearsed. Tinted with fear— As if wealth had bought silence… and sold off integrity.When I saw Proverbs 28:6, it triggered this contrasting memory from my past.“Here you have the poor who don’t have a lot, but they have their integrity And then you got the rich, who have so many ‘things’ but “off rip” you can tell that the “things got them”💡 Let’s Break This Down:This verse cuts through a common cultural lie— That being rich means you’re righteous. And being poor means you’re cursed.Back then—and even now—wealth was seen as divine favor. Poverty? A sign you somehow missed the blessing. Even the word “misfortune” says it: a missed fortune. A life that should’ve gone better.But do you see the flip in this verse? And why it’s so powerful? Better a poor man with his integrity Than a rich man with twisted ways.Let’s get nerdy real quick. The Hebrew phrase for “his integrity” is בְּתוּמָּתוֹ (b’tummato):* תוּמָּה (tummah) = integrity, wholeness.* -וֹ (-to) = “his” (3rd person masculine singular possessive). The Hebrew phrase for his integrity, once again, has a third person masculine, singular, possessive, attached to it. So it's not just integrity, but it's an owned integrity.Just like ‘foolishness’ yesterday that we talked about–where it was “his foolishness. This shows that integrity can be something that is owned by someone. It’s not something you stumble into. It’s something that you have to cultivate, you have to build and choose for yourself.And that kind of integrity? It has a currency that does not crash. It could be cashed out on earth as well as up in heaven.Someone can own riches and still be bankrupt within. Another can be broke and spiritually rich beyond measure.That’s why the laughter from that night in Mississippi Rang so much louder than the laughter from the luxury room.Because truth rings clearer than pretense. And soul-level joy can’t be bought.🧠 Remember:True wealth isn’t about what you own— It’s about what owns you.🙏🏽 PrayerI choose the riches of integrity, even if nothing else.💡 Today’s Challenge:What’s your most valuable possession—really? Reclaim one area where you've traded honesty for image. Invest in what no one can steal: your integrity.Fred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app or just click that Subscribe button right now!Be Wise and Be Well...peace.Thanks for reading Proverbs Daily! This post is public so feel free to share it.
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