Consider these scriptures:

Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Proverbs 27:20

The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: the grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. Proverbs 30:15-16

All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. Ecclesiastes 1:8

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. Ecclesiastes 4:8

Proverbs 28:22 — the answer to playing the lottery.
He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. Proverbs 28:22

Trying to get rich quick is evil and leads to poverty – the coloration may differ, but the driver is always the same. Whether it is sweepstakes from magazines in the mall, or the “win big” lotteries, it’s all about getting rich quickly to do the things our hearts have been locked on through the things fed by our eyes.

It is true that poverty is no fun, but being rich also has its drawbacks! Ecclesiastes 4:8 drives the point home – a choice to use time in building a lasting relation with God as against the pursuit of wealth that you are taking nowhere (Ecclesiastes 5:15). This is the object lesson of Proverbs 28:20 comparing desiring to do right as eternally superior to labouring to get rich.

A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Proverbs 28:20

In Proverbs 27:20, ambition and death are compared as analogs of hell and destruction that are never satisfied; so is the eye of the man never satisfied. The proper balance is found in Proverbs 30:8-9 and together with Proverbs 27:23-24 give us the clarity of pursuit stated in Matthew 6:25-34; so as hard as you may need to work, give priority to intimacy with God.

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Proverbs 30:8-9

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? Proverbs 27:23-24

The following excerpt further speaks on this

“When you’re controlled by materialism. The flawed philosophy behind materialism is ‘more, more, more!’ And it’s the result of ‘eye trouble’. The Bible says, ‘The eyes of man are never satisfied.’ It’s okay to want a nice home, a reliable car, and financial security – and God will provide those things when you’re a good steward of what He has already entrusted you with. But when you want more than you need or more than what’s required to fulfil His will, the Bible calls it vanity. The word could be defined as being empty, hollow, or without purpose. Solomon writes, ‘He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity’ (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NKJV). So before you ask God for prosperity, ask Him to reveal your life’s purpose because they’re directly linked. Jesus said, ‘A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth’ (Luke 12:15 KJV). God uses a different measuring stick, and His Word says He is ‘able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work… Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and…your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God’ (2 Corinthians 9:8, 10-11 NIV). Is God willing to bless you financially? Yes, but only when you are willing to be a conduit and a distributor of His blessings.” —Taken from The Word For Today by Bob & Debby Gass

Selah.

Pastor Afolabi Oladele