Bible Verse
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・Verse Context
・Key Words
・References from Other Verses of the Bible
・Main Message
・How to Apply This Verse in Your Life
・How to Further Study the Verse
Most parents dream about leaving something behind for their children. We work hard, save carefully, and hope that one day we can hand them a financial head start. But here's what keeps many pastors awake at night: we've seen countless families where the money left behind actually hurt the next generation instead of helping them. The real question isn't whether you'll leave your kids money—it's whether you'll teach them how to handle it with wisdom and discipline. Today, we're exploring why the greatest inheritance you can give isn't in your bank account, and why today’s Proverbs warns us that riches don't last unless we train our children to pay attention, not just receive.
Short Devotional
In Solomon’s verse, he wasn't just talking about sheep and cattle. He was teaching that wealth requires active, disciplined attention—and that attention is a skill that must be learned. Think about the parents who scrimp and save for decades, building a nest egg for their children, but never once sit down with those kids to teach them how to budget, how to say no to themselves, or how to actually manage money. We're handing them a tool they've never learned to use. Jesus told a story about a father who gave his son an inheritance early, and that son lost everything because he had resources without wisdom. The money didn't help him—it exposed that he'd never been taught how to steward it.
Here's the hard truth: when we give our children money but not the discipline of financial attention, we're setting them up to prove today’s verse right—that riches don't endure. The crown doesn't pass securely to the next generation just because we leave it to them. It passes securely when we teach them how to wear it. Every dollar you leave behind is either a blessing or a burden, depending on whether your child knows how to "pay careful attention" to it. The greatest gift isn't the inheritance itself—it's teaching your kids to be the kind of people who can handle an inheritance. That's what it means to truly love them well.
Let's Pray
Heavenly Father,
I come before You today recognizing that everything I have belongs to You. You've been so generous with me, and I want to honor You with how I handle what You've given.
God, I confess that I've thought more about what I'll leave my children than about who I'm helping them become. I've worried about the numbers in my accounts, but haven't invested enough in teaching them wisdom.
Forgive me for thinking that money alone could secure their future when You tell me clearly that riches don't last forever.
Help me understand that my greatest responsibility isn't building wealth for the next generation—it's building character in them. Teach me how to involve my children in real financial decisions, how to let them see me pay careful attention to what You've entrusted to me, and how to practice discipline even when it's uncomfortable.
Give me the courage to have honest conversations about money, to let them see both my victories and my mistakes, and to model the kind of stewardship You call us to.
Lord, I ask for wisdom to know when to help and when to let them struggle. Help me raise children who know how to work hard, save patiently, give generously, and pay attention to the condition of what they have.
Let my legacy be children who love You and handle resources with integrity, not just children who inherit resources they don't know how to manage.
Thank You for loving my family more than I ever could.
I trust You with their future, and I ask for strength to prepare them well.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Journaling Prompts
If your children received their full inheritance tomorrow, would they have the wisdom and discipline to steward it well? What does your honest answer reveal about what you need to teach them?
Think about the last time you made a significant financial decision—did your children see you wrestle with it, pray about it, or carefully consider it? What are they learning from watching you?
What frightens you most about having money conversations with your kids? Ask God to show you if fear is keeping you from preparing them well.
The money you leave behind matters far less than the wisdom you build into your children while you're still here. Every conversation about finances, every decision they watch you make with discipline, every lesson in paying attention—these are the real inheritance that will serve them long after your accounts are closed. God doesn't just want you to provide for the next generation; He wants you to prepare them. Start today, even if it feels awkward or late, because it's never too soon or too late to teach your children how to steward well what God gives them.
Until next time,
May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May He make His face shine upon you;
And be gracious to you and give you peace.
God Bless!
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