Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
This line comes from the book of Proverbs, a collection of ancient Hebrew wisdom sayings drawn largely from the tradition of King Solomon — a man who had more wealth than almost anyone in history and still wrote warnings like this one. The writer is cautioning against exhausting yourself in pursuit of riches. The vivid image of wealth 'sprouting wings' like an eagle was immediately relatable in an agricultural economy where a single drought, a bad harvest, or a trade deal gone wrong could wipe out a family's fortune overnight. The underlying point isn't that money is evil — it's that money is unreliable. It's a poor foundation for a life because it will not stay.
God, I confess I've looked to money for security more times than I've looked to you. Remind me today that you are the only foundation that doesn't suddenly sprout wings and disappear. Loosen my grip on what I cannot keep, and help me hold tightly to what truly lasts. Amen.
You've probably seen it — the raise that didn't fix anything, the bonus that disappeared faster than it arrived, the financial milestone you hit only to find yourself already hungry for the next one. Proverbs was written thousands of years ago and already knew this about us. What's almost funny is the image: you just glance at riches — a casual look — and poof. Wings. Gone. The eagle doesn't ask permission or give notice. There's a wry humor here, like the writer is gently laughing at how desperately we chase something so magnificently indifferent to being caught. This isn't a verse that says money is the enemy, or that you shouldn't work hard and plan carefully. It's a verse about posture — about where the eyes of your heart are actually pointed. There's a real difference between managing money and being managed by it, between using wealth as a tool and leaning on it as a foundation. The eagle imagery works precisely because eagles are majestic and free and answer to nothing. Wealth is exactly like that. So what would it look like — practically, not just as a spiritual idea — to hold the money in your life with a slightly looser grip?
The writer describes riches sprouting wings and flying away 'like an eagle' — what do you think that specific image is meant to communicate beyond just 'money can disappear'?
Have you experienced money vanishing faster than you expected — through job loss, unexpected expenses, or poor decisions? What did that experience teach you about where your security actually was?
The verse suggests that even glancing at riches can be a kind of trap. Do you think it's possible to think about money too much — and if so, how do you know when you've crossed that line?
How does financial stress or the active pursuit of more money change the way you show up for the people in your life?
What would it mean practically — not just as a spiritual sentiment — to hold your current wealth more loosely? What's one tangible thing you could do to act on that?
Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
James 5:2
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:3
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:16
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
Psalms 119:37
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Matthew 6:19
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luke 12:15
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
James 5:1
When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies to the heavens.
AMP
When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.
ESV
When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For [wealth] certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies [toward] the heavens.
NASB
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
NIV
Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.
NKJV
In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
NLT
Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings and flies off into the wild blue yonder.
MSG