God loves to bless his children with prosperity. Some of our prosperity is defined by the things we own or possess. God gives us possessions, and those things can give us peace of mind, contentment, and a sense of safety for the future—until they don’t.

God taught Adam and Eve how to take care of all that he had given them. He wanted them to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the Garden and their relationship with him. But their attention was drawn away from God and toward the serpent. They knew what God had told them, but they wanted to believe what Satan was saying even more. So, they ate the fruit and sin entered our world.

They knew what God had given to them, but they didn’t pay attention to what they had. And, they didn’t enjoy having enough when there was more. Sin is often the result of ignoring our blessings and not caring for all we own.

That’s why the author of this proverb taught us that we should “know well the condition” of our flocks. We should give our attention to caring about and caring for all that God has provided in our lives. 

God’s priority goes beyond just taking care of our blessings. God wants us to enjoy them as well. We have all given a gift that remained unopened and unused. It’s sad to see it in the corner of someone’s closet while knowing it has never been enjoyed. That is a small taste of what God must feel when we don’t use the spiritual gifting he gave us in the Holy Spirit. We might think we don’t need the Spirit, but God knows we haven’t paid attention to all that he has provided.

What gifts have remained unopened or underappreciated in your life? 

Let’s make it our high priority to turn our attention toward God’s blessings and faithfully care for all we have been given. God’s priorities are wisdom. God’s gifting is his priority for your life. Wisdom is living with God’s high priorities, giving careful attention and complete gratitude for all of our blessings.