Included among the excuses people make for not doing something about the divine burdens God has placed on their hearts is pure laziness. This laziness is often caused by our complacency and lack of care for what is happening in the world around us. The truth is, when it comes to the divine burdens God has placed on our hearts, sometimes what we need is a reminder to step out of laziness and get to work, doing something about these burdens God has placed on our hearts..
Proverbs 6 warns us against laziness and calls us to get to work, making a difference for Christ everywhere around us. This Proverb warns us, "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?” (verses 7-9). The call in these verses is to take a lesson from the hard-working ants, who work tirelessly gathering food for the winter because they know their survival depends on it. It is a call to wake up and get to work rather than choose laziness. The Proverb continues, "A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber" (verses 10-11). These verses are a reminder that laziness comes with consequences. For the ant, they might not have enough food for the winter if they don't work hard to gather it throughout the summer. For us, we might miss out on all that God has in store for us if we do not obey Him and act on our divine burdens.
When it comes to your divine burden, has laziness crept in? I urge you to wake up! There is too much work to do and too much at stake to stay on the sidelines and choose laziness. God has given us divine burdens for a reason, let’s act on them swiftly and courageously!
How has laziness crept in when it comes to the divine burdens God has placed on your heart? Maybe it has caused you to put off doing something important. Maybe it has caused you to seek your own comfort over making an impact for God’s kingdom. How can you let go of laziness and boldly make a difference for Christ today? Whatever that looks like, commit to letting go of laziness today. Don’t forget to ask God as you seek to do this.
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
God, as I reflect on the Scripture I have studied today in Your Word, forgive me for…
My child,[a] if you have put up security for a friend’s debt
or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—
2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement
and are caught by what you said—
3 follow my advice and save yourself,
for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy.
Now swallow your pride;
go and beg to have your name erased.
4 Don’t put it off; do it now!
Don’t rest until you do.
5 Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter,
like a bird fleeing from a net.
6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
7 Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
8 they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.
9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up?
10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
12 What are worthless and wicked people like?
They are constant liars,
13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
14 Their perverted hearts plot evil,
and they constantly stir up trouble.
15 But they will be destroyed suddenly,
broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.
16 There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
18 a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.
20 My son, obey your father’s commands,
and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
21 Keep their words always in your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
When you sleep, they will protect you.
When you wake up, they will advise you.
23 For their command is a lamp
and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
is the way to life.
24 It will keep you from the immoral woman,
from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
25 Don’t lust for her beauty.
Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
26 For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,[b]
but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.
27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap
and not have his clothes catch on fire?
28 Can he walk on hot coals
and not blister his feet?
29 So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.
He who embraces her will not go unpunished.
30 Excuses might be found for a thief
who steals because he is starving.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,
even if he has to sell everything in his house.
32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,
for he destroys himself.
33 He will be wounded and disgraced.
His shame will never be erased.
34 For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation,
nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.
