DILIGENCE BRINGS WEALTH
Sunday, May 10, 1998
Foundation Scripture: Proverbs 10:4-5 (NIV)
4Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. 5He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
The Bible has abundant counsel on how we should conduct our lives and affairs, in a way that is pleasing to God and that brings blessing to our lives. We are God’s children – He desires that we should be blessed and He gives us instruction, through His word, on how we can be blessed. We will never be blessed if we are lazy, slothful and sloppy. In anything and everything we put our hand to, we should do the best we can and we should keep on doing it. We should not do half-a-job, but we should be diligent to a proper job from beginning to end and we should always endeavor to finish what we begin.
Proverbs 6:6-11 (NIV)
6Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. 9How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--11and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
It is not difficult to be poor – all you have to do is – nothing!
Proverbs 12:24 (NIV)
24Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.
When you are lazy, you will never have control over your own life, and when you do labor it will be for someone else. You will build their wealth with your “slave-labor” - instead of building your own wealth by your diligence. The diligent man will always end up the boss over the not-so-diligent man.
Proverbs 12:11 (NIV)
11He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.
Proverbs 28:19 (NIV)
19He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
The blessing of diligent, hard work is abundant provision, but when we try to find some other solution, without working (a get-rich-quick scheme), we will invariably end up poverty-stricken, because we have bad judgement. Some people think that having faith in God to provide, means that they sit back on their laurels and do absolutely nothing, but that is a fantasy and they lack judgement. God blesses hands that work. Some people think that being in full-time ministry means that they can sit back and do nothing, but they are mistaken. When you work for God, you should make a greater effort to be faithful and to do an excellent job.
Proverbs 14:23 (NIV)
23All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
It is good to have big dreams and plans, but if all you do is talk about them and you never get up and work to make it happen, then you will ever see them come to pass.
Proverbs 19:15 (NIV)
15Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.
If you are lazy, you will starve.
Proverbs 20:4 (NIV)
4A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.
There is a time and a season to work and to do what you need to do. Be careful to not allow opportunities to pass you by. There is a time to work hard and there is a time to reap the reward of your labor. Usually, the ‘work’ part comes before the ‘enjoying the reward’ part!
Proverbs 14:4 (NIV)
4Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.
If you did not have the ox, you would not have the stall to clean, but you could have the ox, a messy stall to clean, and an abundant harvest. It takes work and commitment to bring the blessing in your life, but it is worth the effort to have the good result.
Recent:
Righteous Now
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
“Therefore if any man be in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You are baptized into Christ when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The moment
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the