Proverbs - People Vs. Things

Proverbs 14:4

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean:

 but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

A crib is another name for a manger or barn.  This verse is telling us that if there are no oxen in the manger the manger is really clean.  There is no hay to be stored, no flies associated with their presence, no waste on the ground and the dirt doesn't get disturbed – a smooth, clean surface to walk in and admire.  Having a clean barn is not supposed to be the goal of someone who owns such a facility.  If we were to visit a farmer/cattle rancher and found his facilities sparkling clean and quiet without traces of livestock, we would wonder what sort of farmer he was. We would wonder how he plows his fields or gathers his harvest.  Although things would look nice, they would seem strange and the barn would not only be empty of messes, but the grain itself would be missing or minimal.  Sisters, we have been given facilities by the Lord – our homes, cars, and material goods.  Sometimes in seeking to take care of our goods and keep our homes in order we can miss His purposes in giving them to us.  Our ‘oxen’ are often people that fill our homes and lives and often create a bit of a mess and cause us to have to clean and maintain because of their presence.  Our children, husbands, roommates, friends and family all fill our lives and homes and as a result things aren't always as clean as we might like them to be. But, there is much increase through the strength of the ox.  The people in our lives are placed there by the Lord to bring about an increase in our lives, to plow and harvest all that the Lord wants to grow in us.  When we have messes as a result of our children or having others over in our homes, we must remember God’s truth more than our fleshly perspectives.  We are supposed to work willingly with our hands and thank Him for all He is doing in our lives through those around us.