“Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.”

Thankfully, it’s not a prerequisite that you have to be poor to be blameless, nor are all the rich people those with perverse lips. We can probably all agree that it is foolish to speak perversely. At least, we certainly should. This is typical of Solomon’s style. The contrast adds to the intensity of his point. This style is known as Hebrew poetic form and belongs to the broader genre of Wisdom Literature. Specifically, it features antithetical parallelism, where the second line directly contrasts with the first to clarify a point, and it utilizes aphorisms or maxims—short, easily memorable statements designed for practical life application. (AIResource) My ninth-grade English teacher would be impressed. Solomon wants to be sure we understand precisely how ignorant it is to speak perversely. At the heart of this verse is his understanding that moral character is tremendously more valuable than personal wealth. What you do or don’t have carries little meaning apart from the character of the individual. The poor can have great integrity, the wealthy can have great integrity, and both can have none. God’s interest is not in our financial status but in our love for Him and our commitment to live clean, impactful lives through His Spirit. Today, walk blamelessly. #BeTheEdge

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV