Proverbs - Lazy Days

Proverbs 19:15

Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

When we are lazy we get sleepy.  When we get sleepy we get lazy.  This is a vicious cycle.  Here the Lord is dealing with the fact that when we are not diligent in our work we will end up less diligent.  The Lord has given me a few ideas when this flesh is not too excited to do those manual tasks.  Maybe one or more could be helpful to you and your frame.

·        Set the kitchen timer for a certain amount and try to complete the task before it ends.  This sets sort of a ‘game’ or ‘competition’ environment and sometimes gives me an extra boost.

·        Turn on some really good dancing music that gets your body moving.  Sure, you may be moving a mop but it is good exercise and the lively environment may just contribute to your energy level.

·        Invite a friend over to help and plan a day that week to come and help her.  Finish the work with a nice lunch and prayer time together.  Making a task a bit relational may help us be a bit more motivated.

·        Reward yourself as an incentive.  When you finish your work, call a good friend or go to the market and buy that wonderful treat for your family that night.

·        Stop and pray before working asking for the joy of the Lord.  When we have His joy we tend to be strong. 

·        While you and I are working constantly give Him thanks and praise. When making the bed, thank Him for the warmth of the blankets.   When folding the laundry thank Him for clothes and the family that wears them.

·        Turn on a really good teaching CD or one from the internet.  Find a few different pastors teaching on the same section of scripture.  By the time you are done cleaning you will have grown in your knowledge of the Word and your home will be sparkling.

·        Get a hands free ear and mouth piece for your phone and use the time to catch up on those in your life.  Pray with them and enjoy them. 

·        If you speak in tongues, commit one entire task to praying with your spirit.  You will be building yourself up while your home is sparkling.

·        Think about how nice it will look afterwards and move towards that time you will look back on it and behold that it is good.  Even the Lord did this in creation.

These are some ideas and the Lord will show you your own.  This slothfulness must not be obeyed and become the lord of our days.  If we aren’t getting enough sleep, turn off the television and go to bed earlier.  If we are tired from sick children or other reasons that is not slothfulness, that is being human!  Slothfulness is being lazy and either not doing a job well or not at all.  Let us do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God, the Father, by Him. 

Knowing God - The Lord Reassures Us of His Presence

Josh 3:7

And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

The Lord had already told Joshua that He was with Joshua.  The first measure of confidence Joshua was to have in his calling was that the Lord was WITH him.  God’s presence was to be the foundational motivator for Joshua to walk in all that the Lord had for him.  After Joshua was established in the fellowship he had with his God, then the Lord would begin to reveal His presence in Joshua’s life to those he was leading.  The Lord will be with us and that should be enough for us to face this day and be about all He has commissioned us to do, but the Lord will also be our advocate to those who may not cooperate so easily with His call on our lives.  We are not to convince others of our callings.  He will do this.  He will magnify us in the eyes of those He has called us to influence.  We need to focus on the confidence of His promised presence and allow Him to defend or affirm us in the sight of people.  The Lord will take care of our reputation in the eyes of others as we concern ourselves with our reputation in the eyes of God. 

Proverbs - A Prudent Wife

Proverbs 19:14

House and riches are the inheritance of fathers and a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Here we have a wonderful truth.  Men are designed to want to do well with their bread winning abilities and providing a home for their children.  This is a good thing.  Men were created to provide for their households and desiring financial stability for their family has a noble place in a man’s set of priorities.  The additional truth here is that a prudent wife for the man is from the Lord.  There is a connection here.  A wife who knows how to deal with things with discretion can help her husband with his dreams for his family.  She knows how to be content with such things as she has and yet encourage him to achieve his dreams in the Lord’s timing and with the Lord’s help.  We, as wives, should seek to be a helper for our husband’s goals and dreams.  We must not belittle them as they seek to do well in their careers and financial dealings.  We should come alongside and listen to their vision and then bring those things before the Lord when we pray for them.  We should ask the Lord how we might facilitate these things on their hearts.  How can we be a blessing and do them good in these areas?  Is there some sort of lifestyle we can sacrifice?  Is there a willingness to research or make some phone calls on their behalf?  Godliness with contentment is great gain but for a man to have a drive to do better is fair when he is seeking FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Ladies, let us reverence our husbands.  Ladies, let us help our husbands.  Ladies, seek to be prudent and seek God’s blessings on your finances and dwelling places.

Knowing God - He Will Not Contradict Himself

Mark 11:17

 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?

but ye have made it a den of thieves.

When Jesus confronted the error of man’s way here, he quoted the written scriptures that the Jews had at that time.  The Lord legitimizes the written scriptures by doing this.  Jesus shows us that the written word of God is to be used to evaluate the practices and paths of His followers.  Revelation is wonderful and when it is from the Holy Spirit it will agree with the written Word of God.  God’s revealed Word will NEVER contradict the written Word of God.  Jesus is showing us that we should know His Word in order to evaluate what is going on around us in His name.  Jesus had it at the forefront of His mind so it could light the path in a preeminent way.  Just like a flashlight should be easy to find when an emergency comes our way, the Word of God should be a sword close at hand ready to be pulled out of its sheath and wielded in skill and discretion.  Jesus teaches us in this confrontation that His Word truly is His Word and we are to use His written Word to measure and illuminate the scenarios we find ourselves facing.

Proverbs - Sons and Wives

Proverbs 19:13

A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

Two things that can really discourage a man are a foolish son and a contentious wife.  A foolish son is one that makes choices contrary to wisdom.  A father may find himself being faced with calamity by his son’s choices.  The son may drink and drive and now the father must hire lawyers, pay hospital bills or grieve over the death of his son or those he injured.  The son may be slothful and a lazy worker and the father may be faced with bills he may or may not be responsible for legally.  As moms, we must teach our children wisdom if we desire to bless our husbands.  We must teach them to be diligent in their work, clean up after themselves, redeem the time, turn in work on time, have self control in relationships and other areas that will train them in the way they should go.  If we don’t take the time with them when they are younger and they end up being foolish later, we could cause calamity in our husbands’ lives.  As our sons grow older, and we have done our part, we can rest that we did was right in the Lord’s eyes regardless of our sons’ adult choices.  If we see our sons being foolish, be sensitive to the troubled spirit our husbands might have.  Don’t be contentious about the situation.  Love and respect your husband.  Don’t resist his delimiters or consequences he may have for your son.  Support him in his leadership and resist the mother/son dynamic that often makes us melt.  He doesn’t need a contentious wife on top of a foolish son.

Knowing God - He Will Deliver, He Will Defend

Isa 38:6

And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

The Lord is speaking to King Hezekiah in this verse.  We learn that the Lord delivers us from things/people/situations that are coming against us.  The battle belongs to the Lord.  He is strategic, mighty and powerful in delivering His people from those situations that are seeking to come in, torment and take control of our lives.  He also says that He will defend this city.  That means that not only will he deliver us from any current threat or occupation, but He will defend us when it happens again.  Sometimes we come to the wrong conclusion that we have to deliver or defend ourselves.  He is our deliverer.  He is our defense.  Get your eyes on Him and follow His leading.  We are led in triumph in Christ.  We are led.  We are not doing the leading!  Let Him lead.  You, follow!  Don’t be deceived into a false expectation that you are required to fight this battle in your own strength.  Willingly admit your fears and failures.  Come to Him and thank Him for being your deliverer and defense.

Proverbs - The King's Favor

Proverbs 19:12

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.

The Lord tells us in His Word that “…supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” (1 Tim 2:1-3) When we find favor in the eyes of those who have some sort of authority over our lives we live a much more peaceful life than when authority is angry or against us in some way.  By praying for those over us, we may gain favor and the Lord tells us it is as the dew upon the grass.  Dew comes gently upon each blade providing refreshment and nourishment in doses that the blades can handle and enjoy.  A “king’s” favor helps us be refreshed and enjoy our place under their leadership.  Our husbands, landlords, ministry leaders, managers, political leaders, pastors and others who have ‘kingship’ over us need us to pray for them and we should pray and ask the Lord to grant us favor in their eyes.  This not only helps them but allows our days to have gentle drops of refreshment in the decisions and leadership that so affects our lives.  Perhaps stopping right now and praying for favor from your manager, landlord, husband or someone else in authority would contribute to your well being today.