pro13 – PulpitPress

Associations!

Stay away! Don’t get close! Don’t associate! Don’t befriend! The Book of Proverbs instructs us to avoid certain people in today’s reading. The danger is that these people’s lifestyle, ruin, and end will become ours in time. We are all more easily influenced than we realize.

First up are the corrupt or crooked. They walk a thorny and treacherous road, and those who value life will avoid them (Proverbs 22:5). It is better to live an honest and happy life than constantly watch your back and eventually get caught in your snare. Avoid this person!

Don’t befriend an angry person or associate with the hot-tempered (Proverbs 22:24–25)! Angry people produce angry people. They are full of pride, arrogance, and sinfulness (Proverbs 21:24, 29:22).

Don’t eat with the stingy (Proverbs 23:6–8)! They don’t care about you; you are only a unit of measure to them. They are very judgmental, always judging your actions. Don’t waste your time eating with them!

Don’t hang out with the drunkard or the glutton (Proverbs 23:20–21)! These people are on their way to poverty. The drunkard lives a hard life (Proverbs 23:29–35), and the glutton lacks self-control and is lazy. Everything falls apart around the lazy (Proverbs 24:30–34).

Lastly, don’t associate with the rebellious (Proverbs 24:21–22)! The disobedient are destructive, and destruction comes upon them suddenly and usually without remedy (Proverbs 6:14–15). Stay away from them!

It is better to associate, befriend, and eat with the humble, honest, generous, those of good reputation, the pure of heart, and those of gracious speech and character. Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20, ESV)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Proverbs 22-24.

The want of the lazy!

Laziness! Ouch! Proverbs does not have anything good to say about the lazy! As I read about the lazy person this morning, a couple of traits stood out.

The lazy are known for their massive appetite for want, yet they get little! Their laziness is the enemy of the one thing that produces true prosperity and wealth—hard work! Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. (Proverbs 13:4, NLT) Speaking of hard work, notice hard work vs. the get-rich-quick schemes the lazy love. Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. (Proverbs 13:11, NLT) The lazy want it all now. They will not stand for the little-by-little of hard work over time!

Another trait of the lazy is they are full of dreamy talk! In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. (Proverbs 14:23, ESV) How the lazy love to talk about their plans! But for all the talk, there is no ox in their barn! Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. (Proverbs 14:4, NKJV) Meaning that there is nothing about the lazy that says “work!” You will never find them to have a sore muscle or calloused hand, as it were. The ox is a beast of burden. You will not find the lazy owning anything that says “burden!” But, they are very good at “play station.” They are also very good at demanding that those with oxen provide for them.

So, how does it go for the lazy? It doesn’t! A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers… (Proverbs 15:19, NLT) Briers are removable, but the lazy won’t put on gloves and pull them out of their way. Their laziness, not inequality of opportunity, has sentenced them to continued poverty.

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Proverbs 13-15.