Topic: Slothfulness Debases [DCLM Daily Manna 5 December 2020 Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
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Text: Proverbs 26:1-19 (KJV)
1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
Also See: Open Heaven 5 December 2020 – God Bless You
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
7 The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.
17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?
Key Verse: “The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth” (Proverbs 26:15).
MESSAGE:
Charles H. Spurgeon, an English Baptist preacher, preached a sermon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington on June 3, 1888. The sermon was titled “The Sluggard’s Farm.” He cited Proverbs 24:30-32 to illustrate how King Solomon laid down his robe on a particular day and walked through his kingdom. At a point, he saw the broken wall of a little estate, which comprised a piece of ploughed land and a vineyard. At a glance, the king came to the conclusion that a sluggard owned and neglected the estate because weeds had covered all the face of the ground.
Our text gives a graphic description of the slothful. A slothful person often dreams of and pretends to dread a lion each time he is asked to diligently carry out his assignment. He can give millions of excuses to justify his laziness. He sometimes imagines and portrays difficult situations he cannot grapple with. As a result, he always hides his hands in his bosom and finds it difficult to feed himself. This is a folly that frightens him from the real purpose of existence. But in Genesis 2:15, God “took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” God Himself worked six days unstopped to create the earth and everything in it.
In this light, we must always remember that we are created in God’s image and likeness. God is diligent and industrious. As His reflection, therefore, we must work and not be indolent for any reason. If you are already caught in the web of slothfulness, you can overcome it. Take a step forward today; set achievable goals; pursue them with vigour, and pray for God’s strength.
Thought For The Day: A stitch in time saves nine.
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DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.