Verses for the Day:

Proverbs 24:30-32 (KJV):
30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

Proverbs 24:30-32 (AMP):
30 I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding:
31 And, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses in Proverbs tell us the slothful or lazy person's property will be evidenced by the obvious neglect and lack of care that it shows. What does the word slothful mean?  The dictionary tells us that it is laziness or indolence. Someone who is lazy will not take care of the things that belong to them. They are irresponsible. That is the reason they never will acquire an estate.  Laziness is one of the things that produces poverty. (Of course, some people are born into poverty and it is not their own fault they are in it; however, they do not have to stay in it. If they come to God, He will show them the way out of it by helping them to find a good job.) There is another scripture in Proverbs that tells us that a slothful person is a brother to one who is a great waster.

Proverbs 18:9(KJV): "He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster."

This verse in Proverbs tells us that a slothful person is kindred to one who is wasteful and a destroyer. One who is remiss about the things that are in his charge will neglect his work duties to the point that things will be left unfinished and pile up.  In Bible days, because agriculture was one of the main occupations, many had fields and vineyards. Verse 32 says the wise man went by them and looked and received instruction by observing them. He could see what laziness produces -  a field and a vineyard that was overgrown in weeds and a stone fence that was all broken down. Obviously, the lazy man will not have a productive crop to harvest, so he will face poverty because of his laziness. Today we have different fields of work; however, the principle is the same.  If we do a poor job for any reason, the results will be the same and we will suffer in our job status.

We are a world in a hurry, which is a big hindrance to good workmanship. Slothfulness, shoddy workmanship and disorganization reflect a lack of caring. Many people take short cuts that hamper the quality of the job, just to finish the task so they can eliminate any problems of the moment. Later the job must be repeated which wastes time because the job was not done right the first time.

We need to teach our children not only how to do a good job, but also train them to do their best. Teaching is simply communicating knowledge, while training involves conveying a value system. Good teachers who teach moral values along with proper instruction produce quality schooling and the best workers. If we as parents compromise in our lifestyles and work ethics before our children, then we communicate those ideas to them.

If we have been deceived or perhaps have just become negligent in any area pertaining to our work ethics, we could be guilty of hurting our children or our witness for the Lord.  A good worker who is organized and efficient in all of their efforts will stand out and receive promotions, while the slothful one will not only come to poverty themselves, but will also waste their employer's time and money and fail to be productive in this life. A slothful worker is one who is self-serving, while a godly person has a servant's heart.

Ephesians 6:5-7:
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving me talents and gifts to contribute my portion to make this world a better place.  Lord, I do appreciate the strength and grace to be able to daily do my job. May I always be a good worker and a cheerful one.  Help me not to complain in the work place, but to do my job with a joyful attitude. Give me a servant's heart to serve, not only those in charge, but also to be mindful of all of my co-laborers. May my labor be a tribute to Your touch on my life, in that, all I do is of excellent quality and workmanship.  I ask this in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.