(Proverbs 6:1-19)
1 My son, if you have become a guarantor for your neighbor,
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
2 If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
3 Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
2 If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
3 Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, you lazy one,
Observe its ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no chief,
Officer, or ruler,
8 Prepares its food in the summer
And gathers its provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, you lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
11 Then your poverty will come in like a drifter,
And your need like an armed man.
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a perverse mouth,
13 Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;
14 Who, with perversion in his heart, continually devises evil,
Who spreads strife.
15 Therefore his disaster will come suddenly;
Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
Seven that are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who declares lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
Observe its ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no chief,
Officer, or ruler,
8 Prepares its food in the summer
And gathers its provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, you lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
11 Then your poverty will come in like a drifter,
And your need like an armed man.
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a perverse mouth,
13 Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;
14 Who, with perversion in his heart, continually devises evil,
Who spreads strife.
15 Therefore his disaster will come suddenly;
Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
Seven that are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who declares lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
We see here that part of having healthy relationships with those around us, is to be honest and wise in business and financial dealings. What definitely helps with this is to not love money, but love the Lord ahead of everything and everyone else. If money comes first, one is more likely to fall into the trappings of selfish "me-times" and/or "get-rich-quick" thinking! So if we find ourselves heading down any of these dangerous paths, we are to quickly humble ourselves and go make things right.
While money is necessary to live, we should work with integrity and consistency, and manage our money in a way that also prepares us for the future. When we are living and working in His will, and honoring God with our resources and finances, He will honor our prayers, protect us and see to our needs.
And while it is necessary to take some time to enjoy life and have times of rest, especially honoring the Sabbath, we should not be lazy. A life of leisure might sound grand, but many people will struggle with lack of purpose, which often leads to debauched lifestyles and/or depression.
In either scenario, putting money or leisure time ahead of all else, we make ourselves vulnerable to those wanting to take advantage of us, use and abuse us. Therefore, staying wise and alert will help us recognize and avoid people with evil intentions. And keeping our hearts humbly relying on the Lord will keep us from becoming (haughty) self-righteous and/or entitled, which can happen even when one wants to come across as spiritually mature.
Therefore, even our growth and maturity in Christ requires a committed and consistent walk with Him. We cannot earn our way to heaven or even earn our way to being "righteous". The world doesn't owe us anything, nor does God, for that matter, but the Lord does desire that we all come to know Him, and He will bless those who do, and who choose to walk closely with Him. Only He can save us, and clothe us with His righteousness, and then we still need Him always to help us live abundantly in His grace, love, joy and peace. We can then work, establish and prepare a life that is founded in the Lord's will, which will satisfy us beyond anything this world has to offer.
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