Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 13:25, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
American Standard Version
The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul; But the belly of the wicked shall want.
World English Bible version
The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.
Proverbs 13:25 Meaning & Commentary
The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want. Proverbs 13:25 (ESV)
If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become children of God – His very own sons and daughters: Ephesians 1:5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.
As children of God, we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, and God sees us as righteous because of the blood of His son, Jesus Christ, in our lives. Just as an earthly father loves his kids and wants to provide for them, protect them and care for them –our heavenly father desires to do the same:
Psalm 103:13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
Jesus taught a powerful parable of God’s provision: Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? We can rest in God’s provision for us and that he will satisfy our appetite as His children and not allow us to starve or grow hungry.
On the other hand, the wicked are not reliant nor dependant on God to provide for them, and hence they could suffer want – which means that they may lack certain things or provision from the hand of God. There is also a further interpretation of Proverbs 13:25, which is that wicked people may desire or crave certain things which will not be fulfilled because they are evil. The New Testament speaks about this:
James 4:2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
When we are children of God, and our motives are pure – we can be sure that God will supply our needs and desires, both physical (such as food) and even spiritual and emotional needs and desires!
Application
How can we apply Proverbs 13:25 to our lives?
In The New Testament, we see Jesus Christ teaching his disciples about the principles of being a citizen in The Kingdom. God knew that we would need money and spend much of our lives seeking it, so he gave the pathway to access His resources: Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
In this scripture, The Bible is talking about all the things which the gentiles (non-believers) seek after: Matthew 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. When we put God first in our lives, we will not only have our needs met, but we will see God even meet our desires.
We need to simply put our trust in God and his faithfulness. Just as he looks after the birds of the air (as Jesus taught), so will He look after us: Psalm 34:10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. The key to having our heart’s desires and prayers met and answered is ensuring we are praying, seeking, and asking in line with God’s Word.
When we ask amiss, we may not receive answers to our prayers and desires: James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. How do we know when we are not asking amiss, or our motives are pure and right? When we are aligned with The Word of God! We should, therefore, constantly evaluate our desire, prayers, and intentions with God’s Word, and if we are aligned with His Word, trust Him that as we put him first, every need and desire in our lives will be met!
Prayer
Mighty God, thank You that I am a child of God, and therefore I stand righteous before Your throne. Thank You for Your father’s heart towards me, and then you desire that I be satisfied in every area of my life.
Help me put You first in every area of my life and seek You above all else. I ask that Your kingdom come, and You will be done in my life. I pray this now in Jesus’ name. Amen!
