Part 4
Wisdom is more than something that we receive to help us live life better.
Proverbs 16:20 AMP He who deals wisely and heeds [God’s] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord–happy, blessed, and fortunate is he.
Treat wisdom like a friend that stands beside you.
Proverbs 27:6 NLT Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.
If a friend can speak to you and be faithful by wounding you and bringing correction, then so should the Word of God and wisdom be able to wound you like a friend.
Wouldn’t you rather a friend tell you the honest truth and have it hurt than have the flattery of an enemy.
Wisdom is going to be brutally honest and frank.
Proverbs 6:6-11 NKJV Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, (7) Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, (8) Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. (9) How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? (10) A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep– (11) So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.
I believe the missing key for most of us to enjoy the prosperity of the Lord, is something very small; a minor adjustment.
Sluggard – a lazy person.
Some people are morning people and some are night people.
There are some people that might get out of bed but they are still attached to it all day long. There are people that are constantly controlled by drowsiness throughout the day.
Proverbs 26:14 NKJV As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed.
A door may move but it is still attached to its hinges. There are people that may move around but they are still attached to their beds.
This is the person that does not get work done, they just sit and stare at it.
Proverbs 6:11 KJV So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
For this kind of person, poverty does not come on them at once but rather one step at a time (as one that travels). By the time it gets to your door, it is like an armed robber and you have no defense against it and it overtakes you (armed robber).
The greatest asset in the life of prosperity is having the attitude of hard work and diligence.
The diligent person is not a workaholic but is a smart worker.
Proverbs 6:6-8 NKJV Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, (7) Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, (8) Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.
The ant knows how to work hard but also knows how to work with nature and gets things to work for him.
A diligent person puts his best into his future.
A farmer sows better than he eats. He puts his best into the ground because he knows that it is going to come back to him in the future.
We should always sow our best because we are preparing for our future.
Seven Attributes of a Lazy Person:
- A lazy person never rises high in authority.
Proverbs 12:24 NKJV The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 12:24 MSG The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work.
We have the tendency to put the emphasis on education but Proverbs puts the emphasis on diligence.
Going over and above the norm is what will produce promotion.
Set goals and compete with yourself.
Matthew 5:41 NKJV And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
Roman soldiers could require someone standing on the side of the road to help them carry their armor and belongings one mile.
- A lazy person always irritates those in authority over them.
Proverbs 10:26 GNB Never get a lazy person to do something for you; he will be as irritating as vinegar on your teeth or smoke in your eyes.
Proverbs 10:26 NLT Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.
- A lazy person always has good intentions, even many desires, but no initiative.
Proverbs 13:4 NKJV The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
Proverbs 13:4 MSG Indolence (lazy) wants it all and gets nothing; the energetic have something to show for their lives.
Proverbs 21:25 NLT Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.
- Whatever the lazy person receives, they do not take care of it.
Proverbs 12:27 NKJV The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession.
Often, a slothful person will want something and they receive it but they don’t take care of it.
Proverbs 24:30-34 NKJV I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; (31) And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. (32) When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: (33) A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; (34) So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.
Don’t parents hesitate in giving things to their children when they learn that the children do not take care of it.
- Lazy people are always bouncing from one crisis to another.
Proverbs 15:19 NKJV The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway (higher path).
The thorns hurt because they are bouncing around from one thing to another.
- Slothful people are great wasters.
Proverbs 18:9 NKJV He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
Proverbs 18:9 MSG Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism.
- Slothful people always have an excuse for their laziness.
It is never their fault. They always have an excuse.
Proverbs 20:4 NKJV The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
Proverbs 26:13 NKJV The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!”
Proverbs 26:13 MSG Loafers say, “It’s dangerous out there! Tigers are prowling the streets!” and then pull the covers back over their heads.
The Blessings of the Diligent:
Diligence – constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken
- The Diligent will rise in authority.
Proverbs 12:24 NLT Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.
- The diligent are always looking at things to see how they can cause it to work and produce for them.
Proverbs 21:5 NLT Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
They are asking the question, “How can I prosper from this?” rather than, “How can I get out of this?”
With the diligent person, it begins with their thoughts.
- Diligence will bring you before kings and rulers and those in authority.
Proverbs 22:29 NLT Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.
- Diligent people are prepared for the future.
Proverbs 27:23-27 NKJV Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; (24) For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations. (25) When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, (26) The lambs will provide your clothing, And the goats the price of a field; (27) You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food, For the food of your household, And the nourishment of your maidservants.
- Wealth will pursue the diligent.
Proverbs 10:4 NKJV He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.