Proverbs 10:4 - Working with a diligent hand

Proverbs 10:4 - Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Message: Working with a diligent hand

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God. 

What the Lord is Saying: As I study, I like to review and think about context and common themes. Solomon is going to be giving us 375 proverbs. Obviously there are going to be similar themes. 10:1 was a more general statement about gaining wisdom and the effect that then has on people such as a father, being glad. After this verse, things get more specific. Next is money and the choices we make for acquisition. After work is hunger or what we consume, but here once again, it is about choices and making the right choice. Then in 10:3, we have Jehovah caring about those choices. Yes, we want to be good people, but we also want to be good children of God. This proverb in 10:4 seems already akin to the second one about wealth - poor and rich - are present again. 

Verse 2 speaks of how a person acquires wealth and now in verse 4 it gets even more specific to work. Work is not bad. Work was present before the fall as man was told to subdue the land, rule over creatures, consume food (which meant it would need to be acquired). But after the fall, work did take on a sad appearance or toil or a sad or hard focus (Genesis 3:17). Work and having responsibilities is good, but in work, there are challenges. 

The comparison now in 10:4 is negligence (vice) and diligence (virtue). Looking briefly at other translations: 'lazy' vs 'diligent' (NIV), 'slack' vs 'diligent' (KJV). This negligence or laziness or slack I think can infer a lot of different behaviors. It is a person that wants to get out of working so they can do other things. I notice at work myself and even others that find other distractions rather than working. Distractions I think have increased with the phone, the internet, personal dealings, exercise, reading, walking around and looking busy. I struggle at times doing things that I like to do, that don't necessarily merit much, but keep me interested. These things aren't bad, per se, but I need to be careful. I am concerned about the idea of retirement and whether I will busy myself with things that don't matter as much, rather than being more productive. Thus, I think there is a way to be busy and still negligent. 

I think one of the things that I struggle with in this is how much entertainment or resting do I need each day. Most of my days are about 17 waking hours and 7 sleeping hours. My work day Monday-Friday constitutes about 11 of those 17 waking hours leaving 6 hours: one hour eating and so 4-5 hours of other activity. Hopefully I have some bible study in that time, perhaps ministry, but I also know at times there are other things. Should I be spending that time entertaining myself or resting. The other night I spent 3 of those hours visiting a couple that is homebound and is not able to get out to visit people. 

The diligent person is careful and industrious. They do their part. There is eagerness and diligence. Hard-working, thorough, intent, earnest, constant, persistent. This is someone who is focused and concentrates. It is a person that recognizes their gifts, how they work and think and then applies those to their life. I think diligent working includes working in those areas that one is gifted or that God has designed you to work.  

I have friends in India and Africa and they are hard-working individuals. But, not rich. It is hard for me to understand this. In America, I feel we have opportunities that they don't have. Their children get educated and money is spent on education. They work hard, taking exams and studying hard for those. But upon finishing school, it is often very difficult or challenging to find good work. 

One of my friends is in Coimbatore, India. I have been speaking to him for about 10 years now and saw him come out of school and start working for 2 months, working full time and yet only earning $65 a month. His living expenses are about $325 per month. He would like to get married but most marriages are arranged and the women want someone who will sustain their lives. As I speak to him, I notice how hard he works. He is working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, only taking off Sunday. He has a 2 bedroom home he now lives in after renting an apartment. When he gets a place to live, to secure it he has to pay a 6 month deposit. Right now, he has been working as a medical coder after he lost his job in the summer of 2023. During the pandemic, he was sent home to work, and most of the time, what allowed him to sustain his life was working overtime. He follows the Lord, prays regularly and I share Bible studies with him. Yet, he is not making it right now. He had a client but that ended March 1 and now he is trying to gain clients but is not finding anyone. I look at his life and his diligence in working and wonder, where are his riches. 

Yet, I learn also that these proverbs that are given by Solomon are not a promise. The focus of this verse is not on being poor or rich, but rather how we work - diligently rather than negligently. The diligent person may get rich, but will also I think feel rich. Richness may simply mean they can sustain themselves. It may mean being actually rich, but not every time. God must still be providential in our lives and we must trust Him for His hand of providence. We still pray - Lord, I trust in You; help me to accept your hand of providence in my life. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your hand of providence, in all situations of my life. You have placed me at the level I am at for a reason. Others have more, others have less. Thank you for instilling in me that desire to work hard and yet I still know that I often train myself at times to be a person of ease. Give me wisdom in the margins and in knowing when I need to work harder and be more productive. I need to guard against laziness. Help those in life, like my friend Harris in India to gain more wealth, just enough to sustain his needs. Help him also to be start in His dealings. 

 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

My Utmost for His Highest - April 16th - Can You Come Down?

While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light. - John 12:36

    We all have moments when we feel better than our best, and we say--"I feel fit for anything; If only I could be like this always!" We are not meant to be. Those moments are moments of insight which we have to live up to when we do not feel like it. Many of us are no good for this workaday world when there is no high hour. We must bring our commonplace life up to the standard revealed in the high hour.

 
    Never allow a feeling which was stirred in you in the high hour to evaporate. Don't put your mental feet on the mantelpiece and say--"What a marvelous state of mind to be in!" Act immediately, do something, if only because you would rather not do it. If in a prayer meeting God has shown you something to do, don't say--"I'll do it"; do it! Take yourself by the scruff of the neck and shake off your incarnate laziness. Laziness is always seen in cravings for the high hour; we talk about working up to a time on the mount. We have to learn to live in the grey day according to what we saw on the mount.

    Don't cave in because you have been baffled once, get at it again. Burn your bridges behind you, and stand committed to God by your own act. never revise your decisions, but see that you make your decisions in the light of the high hour.

From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

- Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition. 

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Proverbs 31:28-31 - The Wife Who is to be Praised

Proverbs 31:28-31

²⁸ Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
²⁹ “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
³¹ Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

 
Message: The Wife Who is to be Praised

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: After hearing of the hard-working wife and mother in the previous verses, the wife and mother is now praised by her children and her fear of the Lord is commended.

Her children rise up for they have been her biggest witnesses for the acts in which she has done. I notice this about my kids as they are very cognizant of Pamela and her moods and her actions. They see it all. And these children's response is and bless her. They remark of how excellent her behavior and person-hood is to them. She has been wise and has exhibited godly education towards them.

And her husband, and he praises her with the following words: Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all. The husband loves his wife and esteems her. He sees her as the best ever. Paul mentions the importance of a husband loving his wife and that is what this man exhibits. The husband should always feel like he has the greatest prize in his wife. I hear this remark often from men and that is a good thing. Often it is heard from young men who are playing a sport and they will often mention there mom that sacrificed for them and did so much so that they could have opportunities. Everyone had a great mom. This is how it should be. This means the mom is doing her job. And the husband to shows that he has no reason to go elsewhere for any companionship or have any sort of desire for another woman.

It is tragic to see that women are not judged for their works, but too often for their looks. Lord, help me to be a different sort of man. Help me to praise my wife for who she is on the inside. The problem with us Americans is we want it all, but our chief aim should be a wife that cares for her family and children and as the previous verses mentioned, looks out for the interests of others and is giving to other people as well.

On this note the following verse mentions that charm is deceitful and beauty is vain. How said that we put such a value on charm and beauty in society. I think it is often because we are so tied into TV, Movies, and the media, and the constant exhibiting of these type of women. They are held up as the ideal ones because we all want to be like them. Yet, it is amazing because there personal lives are often very rocky. There are exceptions, definitely, but we often don't even care about their private life as long as their showmanship is in order. How awful of us to put that much stock in these type of people. The Bible is clear that this is not how we should view women, but instead a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 

The virtuous woman is the key woman. Here it is, the 2nd last verse of the book speaking that the key is the fear of the Lord. And the book started in Proverbs 1:7 with - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. What is the key ingredient in all of life? It is those that fear the Lord. Ecclesiastes ends with The conclusion, when all has been heard: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. Every person has the same ideal - to fear God. The problem is we can't see this and this is not as apparent to the momentary glances that we get on the screens of the lives we stare at. Yet, Solomon makes it clear, this is the key. 

Any praise, beyond the fear of the Lord of her, should be made my others. Give her the product of her hands,and let her works praise her in the gates. Her walk equals her talk. Her walk exhibits who she is, a woman that fears the Lord. It's funny, but recently, I saw this picture of my mom in my dorm room at college. At the time she was probably about 42 and I noticed how beautiful my mom was and is. But, I've always known how amazing my mom is and she has always been a woman that fears the Lord and for all of my life this is what stands out about her, almost to the point that I don't see her beauty because her fear of the Lord was so loud in her life that this is what defined her always. She spends time praying, seeking the Lord, and has a great desire to teach other women as well. Her voice has always been lovely and singing in church, praising God, stood out in her life. This is how we should see women in our lives. We should see the fear of the Lord first.

Promise: God is honored through praises which come to his people for graces which he has imparted and which by their very nature exalt him. -- John Piper. Let us who are husbands cherish and praise our godly wives that we might honor God. -- Tabletalk.

Prayer: Thank you God for my mom and for my wife. Thank you for the way in which they carefully desire to praise You with their lives. Help me to better encourage them and be thankful for them.

Genesis 2:15 - Taking Care of Home

Genesis 2:15
Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
Message: Taking Care of Home

Time: Genesis is the first book and Moses is credited as authoring. The book spans 2400 years of time. It was originally written in Hebrew.

What the Lord is Saying: While the Lord own all and owns all of our resources, from the beginning, even before the Fall, Adam was placed in charge of the garden and tasked to cultivate it and keep it. 

As I read through different translations of this verse, the 1st part -- The Lord took the man and put him into the garden of Eden -- remains fairly unchanged from translation to translation. It is interesting because God didn't direct man and lead him to the garden but he took him and put him. This isn't a suggestion, but a mandate by God of man's purpose. This was to be his permanent home, dwelling place.

After placing Adam in it, he is tasked to dress it, work it, or cultivate it. The land was indeed paradise. Remember, there is no Fall at this point, but still the land needs tilled and sowed. Also, in the process he is told to keep it, take care of it, watch over it, guard it, and/or maintain it. Thus, it was possible for it to ruin. Thus, an unproductive harvest does not constitute sin. And there are animals that could hurt or destroy it. Despite sin not being present, it is possible the adversary was present. Adam is tasked to guard the land given him.

As such, I need to protect that which God has given me and count it as a gift what I have. I am to care for my home and keep it safe from intruders. There is a responsibility in having a home and possessing God's gifts. I am to care for these things.

Promise: Thus, we are responsible to use His resources to provide for our families, and we are to protect and increase what the Lord has given to us. God will hold us accountable for what we do with His creation.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your providence and providing what you have for me. Help me and remind me that it is yours and I am your servant caring for it. Keep me grateful and keep me diligent to care for it. Thank you for helping me to do this and providing me the means to care for it and those near me.

Proverbs 10:4-5 - The Diligent Hand of the Prudent Son

Proverbs 10:4-5
4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

Message: The Diligent Hand of the Prudent Son

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: Even there were not any verse or chapter divisions in the original manuscripts, the beginning of this chapter says -- A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother. Solomon in Proverbs is primarily speaking to a son or his children to discuss things to think about, mostly regarding behavior. The reality is that left to our natural state, we have a tendency to live lives of complete selfishness. We do not naturally please others. For example, a child has to learn to share. For some it is easier than others. I see this in myself often, my selfishness takes over in so many areas. Yes, I work hard, but often I think that hard work then merits a meeting of my expectations.

These two proverbs contrast the hard working with the lazy. This is a common theme. I have learned in life that it is not just about working hard but working hard in a wise manner. After college I worked in a credit union as a teller for just about 6 months. In that job, I worked quickly but not always carefully. I enjoyed being faster than everyone else, but along the way I wasn't always the most accurate. My next year was spent volunteering in radio and doing temp jobs. In those jobs I sometimes didn't have big time requirements and could work at my own pace. Then, I got a job in retail. It wasn't just working hard that was important, but being wise in that work and working with a smile on my face, which has always been a challenge. In this process, I went back to school and then went to work at an accounting office. I worked hard, but not hard enough. My boss was similar to my boss now, expecting me to get the job done and not being focused on my time. I took a few afternoons off to watch Lobo basketball and didn't come in like he did on the weekends and he let me go. That was a wake up call for I spent another couple of months looking for work while having a wife at home and a new child. I then worked in Santa Fe and had different demands placed on me and I responded, thought it was still a challenge. That was a good job, but I still felt inadequate many times and I wasn't sure I was working well. I then took a job back in Albuquerque with a friend being the resident accountant for a small business. That was a job I didn't have much confidence in and I let others decide how I would work rather, though they looked to me for advice often.

I think overall I have learned to be diligent as verse 4 speaks.

And now I look at my children and I must admit their idleness makes em bothered. I think they spend too much time in entertainment and recreation mode. But, I also need to remember myself and what I had to learn and I need to give them time to learn as well.

Promise: Different seasons of life dictate often how often we spent quality time with the Lord and quality time working, but it is always important to be diligent and work in a wise manner.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the experiences that I have had. Some have been hard to go through, but through them you have taught much about myself. Forgive me for continually thinking of myself as deserving something because I simply work hard. You have gifted me in a certain way to be a certain person and this is who I am. And remind me that I am simply behaving in a way that is consistent with my make-up. Help me to be patient with my wife and children. I need your help Lord, I often act in way that I am not proud of. I want to instead bring glory to Your Name.