(Prov 24:30-34 CEV) I once walked by the field and the vineyard of a lazy fool. Thorns and weeds were everywhere, and the stone wall had fallen down. When I saw this, it taught me a lesson: Sleep a little. Doze a little. Fold your hands and twiddle your thumbs. Suddenly poverty hits you and everything is gone!
This morning we continue our series, “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God.” This is the 4th saying of the 2nd section of this book within Proverbs and it is another admonition against laziness. Solomon was obviously a fan of hard/diligent work and a clearly not a fan of laziness. He unreservedly taught that laziness leads to poverty and diligence leads to wealth. Back in chapter six Solomon said, “But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber” (9-11). In chapter 19 he said: “Anyone who doesn’t want to work sleeps his life away. And a person who refuses to work goes hungry” (v.15). Those are references to laziness which leads to poverty. On the other side of the equation, in chapter 10 Solomon said, “He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth” (v.4). In the 12th chapter he said, “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense” (v.11) and “If you are lazy, you will never get what you are after, but if you work hard, you will get a fortune” (v.27).
The point of all of this is that if we are lazy we will find ourselves with scarcity, lack, and poverty, and it will NOT be God’s fault. In the New Testament, in Paul’s second letter to the church at Thessalonica, he said, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (3:10). Paul had received word that some of the members of the church in Thessalonica were more focused on being busybodies, than being busy. He went on to say, “Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living” (verses 11,12).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God wants you to be blessed, but you have to do your part. You have a part in God’s provision for your life. Your provision is not all you, but it is certainly not all God either. So don’t lazily sit around thinking that God is going to rain down checks from heaven. You will starve.
2. You have to give God something to bless. We serve a God who is ready, able, and more than willing to bless the work of your hands, but if you don’t DO anything, you are not giving Him anything to bless. If you do your part, God will do His! The lazy reap what they sow – NOTHING!
3. If you want to be used of God you have to be diligent. Can God use anyone? Of course He can. God even used a donkey, but he only used him ONCE! If you want to be used on a consistent basis, then you must be consistently diligent to DO all that He has graced you to DO. Listen, I am in Texas right now, about to catch a flight soon. To write Today’s Word before my flight I had to get up at 3am. Over the last 14 years I don’t know how many times I have had to get up at 3am, or 2am, or even 1am to write Today’s Word before I start my day. Yeah, I could complain about it, but what good would that do? God gave me this assignment and my job is to do it. As I do it, He blesses it, and He also blesses everything else I do. But He can’t bless what I am too lazy or tired to DO. The same will hold true for you.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for blessing me to be able to work. I put my hands to work and I do it diligently. I am faithful over my time and the time/resources of others. I do not waste my day away by aimlessly daydreaming. I put my hands to DO all that You have blessed me to DO today. I know that You want to operate in my life today and I declare, right now, that I WILL cooperate with You daily. I overcome laziness, I am faithful to Your assignment for my life, and I committed to fulfilling Your purposes before I die. Every day I get up with the ‘forward ever, backward never’ mentality. I will do my part and I know You will do Yours. I will work and I know You will bless the work of my hands. You and me Father, together, let’s go and make a difference! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
