January 20, 2008

Today's Reading - Proverbs 20
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Following Scripture Verses

1. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
2. The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
3. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
7. The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
8. A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
10. Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.
11. Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
12. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.
13. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14. It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
17. Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18. Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
19. He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20. Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
21. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
23. Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.
24. Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
26. A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
27. The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
28. Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
29. The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
30. The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

Today's Pathway:
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The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; [therefore] shall he beg in harvest, and [have] nothing. - Proverbs 20:4

Here we have yet another statement concerning the lazy man. He is referred to as a sluggard, which means that he doesn't want to work and would prefer to lie around and take life easy all the time. However, because he does not want people to perceive him as being a sloth, he makes excuses as to why he can not get the job finished that he needs to do. In this illustration the sluggard tells his friends or employer or spouse that the reason that he can not work in the field is that it is too cold. Of course, his true problem is his complete lack of character.

Most people are able to fabricate some reason to justify their improper behavior. I have known many people who never got their work completed, and they always seemed to have an excuse. Teachers have heard numerous defenses as to why a student's homework wasn't finished. There are always a score of "good" reasons why a Christian just can't go soul-winning or make it out to the mid-week prayer meeting. However, God knows that often the real issue is simply laziness.

Note the end result of the sluggard. He will have nothing because of his failure to work, and he will be forced to beg. This is very important to understand. If a farmer won't work, it doesn't matter what his excuse was; he still doesn't reap a harvest. I can come up with a hundred reasons why I can't do something difficult or unpleasant right now, but in the end my excuses will not compensate for my failure to take the proper action.

Are you making progress, or making excuses?

Pastor Mark J Montgomery