Proverbs 14.24 says, the crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly. For the sake of any new listeners, and to be sure that we get off on the right foot in this devotional, we have to remind you that in the use of the term riches in 1000 BC, when the Proverbs were written, the typical middle-class American today lives like a royalty. But in 1000 AD, to have food on hand and provisions stored for the coming months, especially to get through the wintertime, required that a person be wise in his use of time in the previous months, his planning for storage and his savings. Most of the poor ended up in poverty and suffering hunger because they were not wise. They didn't work as hard as they should. They didn't store for the winter. They didn't save a few shekels when they could have. Of course, there were exceptions. There were the mentally incompetent, the physically disabled, and those who suffered from disease and natural disasters that put them into poverty. That's why God's people were always told to be charitable and considerate of the poor. Farmers were not to go back and strip their fields completely of anything missed. and they were to allow the hungry to take what they needed for a single meal at a time. That was the welfare system of that day. But even among these, there was a lack of wisdom that contributed to their poverty. And many elderly, for example, were left poverty-stricken at least in part due to their lack of wisdom in planning for their old age. On the other hand, those who have plenty as a result of putting wisdom and this wisdom from God's word into practice, they would wear the situation they were in like a crown. They didn't actually put a crown on their head and they didn't wear t-shirts that said wisdom lives here. But just as the crown on the head of a royalty tells those around them that they are royalty, so a man of modest means who lived with plenty as a result of wise decisions and a wise lifestyle would be recognized for his wisdom by those who knew him well. He would wear it like a crown. And there is the contrast. The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly. On the one hand, we have the description of the wise man of modest means doing well. On the other hand, we all know people who have plenty of money in spite of the fact that they are fools. These days, all you have to do is pick up the entertainment section of the papers or magazines or go to the websites that feature so-called stars in entertainment. The lives of overpaid entertainers like Britney Spears, the Kardashians, and the majority of child stars, but you could throw in all kinds of other people like sports figures, these multi-millionaire athletes who don't know how to live with money. The foolishness of fools is folly. When I was a kid, I remember all the news stories about Billy Carter, who was the brother of President Jimmy Carter. Today, it's Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden. In either case, they're two men who didn't deserve any notoriety or fame. They were famous and received undeserved wealth and stature because of who they were related to, and not because of any wisdom on their own part. And their lives were just fodder for the tabloids and the so-called news sources to grab the attention of people and make money selling papers and magazines or generating ad revenue on websites today. By looking at these two extremes, we can see the message of Proverbs 14.24. The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly. Now, all of us are given enough to at least get by if we're wise. Most of us today have plenty and can use wisdom in planning ahead, not just for this coming winter, but also for later years in retirement if the Lord tarries. And as you wear the crown of the wise in the eyes of others, be sure to give God the glory. First of all, be sure to give God the thanks. Our wisdom comes from Him. But when others do see our ability to get by and to have plenty, they look upon us as having wisdom. But tell folks that whatever wisdom that they see demonstrated in your life, it came as a result of your learning God's wisdom from His Word. And if you learned it from others who wore the crown of the wise, such as your parents, grandparents, friends, or other influences, give credit where credit is due. Because humility should always be one of the jewels worn in the crown of the wise.