Sunday, October 13, 2019

PT-2 "Thieves" (Various verses)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/13/2013 11:51 AM
My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  More on the Thief
Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Various Verses
            Bible Reading & Meditation:  In Today’s Spiritual Diary we will continue to look at the thief as how he is described in the book of Proverbs and also in other places in the Scriptures.
            Some of the ways that a thief is described in the book of Proverbs may not be the way that many people think about as a person being a thief.  For instance think about a person who has plenty of things and in a time of need will not help others with what he has, this is being a thief.  The Bible teaches that everything belongs to the Lord, “For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”  (1Cor. 4:7)  “John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven (John 3:27).”  Dr. Wiersbe writes “While everyone expects that a businessman will make a profit, nobody wants him to ‘make a killing’ and hurt others.”  “25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.  26 People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.”  (Pr. 11:25-26)
            Now we will look at another way that we might not think of being thievery by looking at the lazy person.  Dr. Wiersbe reports that the “sluggard” and the “slothful” are found at least seventeen times in the book of Proverbs and there is not one good thing that is said about them.  I mentioned that this is a great problem in our country as many people fit into the category of being a sluggard or being slothful, for many in this country think that people owe them something and so they refuse to work and complain when they do not get what they deem as “their fair share.”  People really do not want what is fair for if all people got what is fair we would all be heading for hell because none of us deserve to go to heaven, but for the grace and mercy of God along with taking out His wrath on His Son, no one would be able to enter heaven.
            As we go back to the very beginning of time right after God created Adam we will find that God gave him work to do, for it was his job to care for the beautiful garden that God had created.  My point here is that work is not a curse for it came before the fall.  When Jesus came to earth in the form of man and always being God, he worked as a carpenter until His public ministry began.  We also read of the Apostle Paul being a tentmaker, having to not only work to make tents, but also taking time to preach the Gospel and to lead the churches that God gave him to start.  We see in the very first chapter that it was the work of God to create the earth in six days, and then He rested on the seventh, not because He was tired for all the work, but because He had completed His work.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “When we engage in honorable employment we’re cooperating with God in caring for and using His creation, we’re helping to provide for others, and we’re growing in character.  The work God has called us to do ought to nourish us (John 4:34), not tear us down; ‘the laborer is worthy of his hire’ (Luke 10:71; 1Tim. 5:18).”
            Let us look at some of the marks of a sluggard.  “6 ¶  Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7  Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8  Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. 9  How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10  "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest"- 11  Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man (Pr. 6:6-10).”  “As the door turns on its hinges, So does the sluggard on his bed (Pr. 26:4).”
            Proverbs and other Scriptures do not tell us not to get our sleep, but we have to remember that there is much balance in the Word of God, and therefore we need to get the proper amount of sleep in order to do the work that God has called us to do.  “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet (Pr. 3:24).”   “The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep (Eccl. 5:12)”   Dr. Wiersbe quotes Ronald Sailer and David Wyrtzen from their book The Practice of Wisdom:  “Laziness could run a competitive race for the most underrated sin.  Quietly it anesthetizes its victim into a lifeless stupor that ends in hunger, bondage, and death.” 
            What happens when you put a sluggard?  “As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him (Pr. 10:26).”  A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes (Pr. 10:26 Message).”  “The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work; All day long he is craving, While the righteous gives and does not hold back (Pr. 21:25-26).” 
            Next we will look at another trait of the sluggard and that is he is a know-it-all.  “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer (Pr. 26:16).”  The sluggard live in a fantasy world which will prevent him from being useful in the real world, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat (PR. 13:40).”  (See Pr. 21:25-26 from above.)  “The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway (Pr. 15:19).” 
            We will not look at what will finally happen to the sluggard.  First if others don’t look out for the sluggard he will live in poverty and hunger.  “Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry (Pr. 15:19).”  When we look at what Paul writes in the NT letter of 2Thes. we will see that he left no room for sluggards “6 ¶  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. 7  For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, 8  nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; 9  not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. 10  For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. 11  For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. 12  Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. 13  But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. 14  If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. 15  Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”   More on what will happen to the sluggard:  “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labour (Pr. 12:24).”  The sluggard wastes God-given resources:  “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys (Pr. 10:9).” 
            Finally the sluggard also wastes God-given opportunities:  “He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son (Pr. 10:5).”
            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The flowing is what Jesus said about the spiritual harvest to His disciples:  “27 ¶  At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why do You speak with her?" 28  So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 29  "Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?" 30  They went out of the city, and were coming to Him. 31  Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32  But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." 33  So the disciples were saying to one another, "No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?" 34  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. 35 "Do you not say, ’There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36  "Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37  "For in this case the saying is true, ’One sows and another reaps.’ 38  "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.’”
My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to give me the grace and the strength to win the battle that I am in at this time of my life.
Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 32:1-2
            1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!  2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!   
Turning Points Wisdom for Today:  “Not until we have become humble and teachable…Distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.”  (J. I. Packer)  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  (Proverbs 1:7)
2/13/2013 12:52 PM
           
           

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