November 11, 2026

Business by the Book

Proverbs 21:17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man:…

We’ve all heard the stories. A person obtains an abundance of money, yet ends up poor. Why? All too often it is because of the truth contained in today’s verse. That person loved pleasure. Pleasure is an emotion created by God, it is good and profitable for mankind to enjoy those things that bring them pleasure. However, like all else that the Lord made, loving pleasure will bring poverty.

Loving pleasure is different from enjoying pleasure or even finding pleasure. To love pleasure in the extreme is to put it above all else. Jesus said, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21). Therefore if a person loves pleasure, meaning their heart is on pleasure, their treasure will be on pleasure also. Spending untold amounts of money on pleasure will quickly drain ones accounts, for pleasure is not an investment that will yield a financial return. The prodigal son learned this lesson. He loved the pleasure that he found in the “far country,” and while he had money he reveled in it. Yet soon his money was spent and he was poor. Loving the pleasure caused him to squander his inheritance.

God has many ways to bring a person pleasure that, in balance, does not destroy that person’s financial wellbeing. The danger is falling in love with pleasure to the point of causing harm to ones work ethic, health, integrity, and/or sense of responsibility. Enjoy the pleasure that can be yours, but do not fall in love with pleasure. For at the end of that road is a potter’s field.

Until tomorrow, carry on your Business by the Book today, 

Dr. William Howe