Welcome to this Daily PBJ devotional. Read Joshua 1, Jeremiah 26, and Proverbs 16, 1-15. This devotional is about Proverbs 16, 1-15. The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the Lord. All a man's ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the Lord. Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be achieved. The Lord has made everything for his purpose, even the wicked for the day of disaster. Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the Lord. Be assured that he will not go unpunished. By loving devotion and faithfulness, iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns aside from evil. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even the man's enemies live at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness Than great gain with injustice. A man's heart plans his course, But the Lord determines his steps. A divine verdict is on the lips of a king, His mouth must not betray justice. Honest scales and balances are from the Lord, All the weights in the bag are His concern. Wicked behavior is detestable for kings, For a throne is established through righteousness. Righteous lips are a king's delight, And he who speaks honestly is beloved. The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it. When a king's face brightens, there is life. His favor is like a rain cloud in spring. This is God's word. Wealth is one of the deepest desires of many people. For some, wealth is valuable because of the experiences it can buy. Others value the possessions that wealth can help you collect. Still others are fearful of financial ruin, so accumulating wealth gives them a greater feeling of security. Regardless of why someone wants financial gain, the temptation to be dishonest or to take advantage of someone is too strong for many people to overcome. Proverbs 16.8 calls us to consider a different path. Instead of pursuing and acquiring money at all costs, verse 8a invites us to consider the value of personal integrity. Would you rather do the right thing, even if it means less money for you? Or would you rather compromise your principles, just a little, to put some more money into your pocket? You are wiser, the Holy Spirit wrote through Solomon here. If you get by on less, in order to do the right thing, that's better than if you turn a profit in an unjust way. But why is it better? Why is it wiser to do right instead of taking the money? Doing the right thing keeps your conscience from bothering you. In fact, you may feel a sense of holy satisfaction if you do what is honest and right. Additionally, the Lord is watching when you choose righteousness over unjust gain. By choosing to do what God commands, you are banking on His promise to provide for you and your needs. Will you face a situation in life like this in the next week? Maybe a cashier will mistakenly give you a $10 bill back instead of a $1 bill. Maybe you'll see an opportunity to buy something for yourself with a company credit card. Maybe you'll be tempted to embezzle funds or join a dishonest get-rich-quick scheme. Remember that God is watching. He's watching what we do, and if you belong to Him, pleasing Him with your choices will be better for you than stocking away more cash for yourself. If your trust is in the Lord, then count on Him to provide for you. by doing what is right, even if it leaves you with less money in the bank. If you liked this devotional, maybe you should sign up to receive it every day in your email. Go to dailypbj.com slash subscribe for that. Maybe you could become part of my financial support network to help me with the costs of doing this and so that I can expand and do more online content like this. If you would consider becoming one of my monthly financial supporters, please go to dailypbj.com slash support. And please share this with someone who might be helped to think about honesty in the context of their Christian life through this devotional. But I'll see you next time. May God bless you. Hope you have a great day today.