Proverbs 11:29 – “He that troubleth [stirs up trouble & conflict] his own house shall inherit the wind [receives nothing in inheritance]: and the fool shall be servant [rather than inherit wealth and be served] to the wise of heart.”?
Proverbs 11:29 offers insight into what I will describe as “those things that ought to be, but sometimes are not.”
It “ought to be” when a child or loved one has been a heartache and trouble throughout their life they should expect nothing upon the reading of a relative’s will; or as Solomon states, they should “inherit the wind” (11:29a). Sadly, I have observed many well-meaning parents and grandparents who left an inheritance to family members who gave them nothing but trouble in their lifetime and deserved nothing when they died. Those sorry souls proceeded to waste in a few short months all they were bequeathed!
To my elderly friends I advise, leaving anything more than “the wind” to an undisciplined, rebellious soul is not only poor stewardship, it will also be a curse to your loved one who refuses to manage their lives let along your treasures and wealth when you are gone.
Continuing the same theme regarding the stewardship of an inheritance, in God’s economy the “fool shall be servant to the wise of heart” (11:29b). So it was in ancient times that the wealthy father of a fool would reward a faithful servant an inheritance and the rich man’s foolish son would become subservient to his father’s slave.
Unfortunately, in America’s 21st century economy politicians give little thought to godly stewardship and biblical principles. By a “death tax” [a tax on an estate on top of the taxes 
a man has paid in his lifetime] hardworking families lose their properties and wealth or are forced to buy expensive life insurance policies to pay taxes that fund programs that reward the foolish, lazy and unmotivated.
By the way, God does have a welfare policy for fools: “…if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
Copyright 2015 – Travis D. Smith