“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise…How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?” (Proverbs 6:6, 9, ESV)
I know…I know. This is not an exciting scripture to wake up to.
Proverbs like this don’t get a lot of press. It’s not going to attract a crowd. It won't get top billing at the next big conference. You’re never going to see a video message on laziness ever go viral on social media.
Wisdom is a funny thing these days. None of us really want to be taught how to limit our choices for success. We want to keep doing what we’re doing; add a little good stuff on the side, and hope for the best. Our culture, right now, doesn’t want to be told “we can’t,” or even that “we should” do anything. We just want to be happy…regardless of what our lives look like.
But, the Word of God is clear. There IS a way that leads to our best life. There is godly wisdom that governs our speech, our financial obligations, marriage, and all things social. If we listen, it leads to life; if we ignore it, it leads to…well…not such good things.
Let the Spirit of God encourage you. He did not give us the gospel simply to give us a great spiritual experience. You still have to live in the real world with real people. May our ears always be bent toward what is best rather than what is easy.
Thank you Pastor Jim. This hits home with me.
I wish I could just go “presto chango”and I would be like Jesus every day. But we know it doesn’t work like that. We need to apply both faith and works, guard our hearts and the Word in it , keep going forward, fight the good fight! We need to “do”what we are designed to do. The ant knows this. It forages for food unrelentlessly every day preparing with the colony for a time when the snow falls. It can carry it’s own weight but you’ll also see it carrying the biggest bug back to the colony and the Queen. What we forget about the ant is how much it cleans up the world by taking away dead stuff. So doing what it’s designed to do, the busy ant benefits both the colony and the world!… Hmmmm…
Wow! AMEN!!!!
I just read your devotional (and it is nearly 9 am here where I live and as I write this)
My devotional today is very similar! I love it too how GOD’S people speak on one accord!
GOD does not call us to take the easy way out, or the lazy way either. We who are Christians are called to live differently from what the world does.
It takes real courage to be an individual, and use that individuality to take a stand, and live a GODLY life by honoring and obeying our Heavenly Father! GOD ALWAYS HONORS WHO DOES WHAT IS RIGHT TOO!!
I wound rather stand alone, standing with GOD, if that is where it led me, then to stand with a crowd that doesn’t stand with GOD.
We only get this one chance to live our life and get it right with GOD.
Amen! You are right. It is such a huge joy to see how the Lord works and speaks throughout His body in one voice. 😊
Good Word! Faith believes and receives. God gives a strategy go get from here to where we’re going. Faith moves and does what it takes to accomplish God’s plan. Thus…Faith without works is dead.
Faith acts out what it believes…We can’t be too lazy to do the acting part.
Hah! As I started to read this, I thought, this is going to be good.
😀
I believe God is using you to raise up a people (me first, please) who DO want to hear the harder things to digest; because we really DO want more of HIM and less of us. Only one way; through the narrow gate.
Thank you, Becky. I praise Him that although the way is narrow, His grace carries us through.