Proverbs 23:4-5

“Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” (KJV)

“Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it. 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)

The Birds

In the movie Rio, Blu is a blue macaw with a human friend, Linda. Blu is the last male of his kind, and he is sought out by an ornithologist from Brazil, Túlio, who intends to take the bird back with him to save the species. Linda is convinced by Túlio to travel to Brazil with him and to take Blu to meet the other bird.

While they are there, Blu and the female macaw, Jewel, are bird-napped and sold to three men who are bird smugglers. The leader of the group plans to sell the birds for an insane price and therefore become rich.

A very long journey takes place to try and get back to Linda, and Blu and Jewel escape and everything turns out just fine. However, the thieves didn’t plan on their way of income literally flying away from them. After all, the birds were locked up in a cage!

The Verses

It’s like this movie was made for these verses! The thieves were so concerned with their wealth, they didn’t stop to consider losing it all even when they thought they were set and everything was working to their advantage.

When you have wealth, do not set your eyes on it and continue to weary yourself to get more. Money is losing its value at an alarming rate, and even the wind can carry it away if you are not careful.

Don’t forget that your wealth may just fly way. Instead, consider these verses:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” -Matthew 6:19-21