Today’s Verse: He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. ~Proverbs 17:9 When you hear the word slothful what comes to your mind? The book of Proverbs has much to say to us about slothfulness and its effect on us. Solomon saw the many faces of his society. He saw those who worked hard and were rewarded for their diligent efforts. He also saw those who did not work; those who depended upon others to do their work for them. This morning we ar

Today’s Verse: Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. ~Proverbs 14:4 Solomon enjoyed using examples from agriculture, farming, and the animal world as metaphors in his writings. In our passage this morning, he speaks of the strength of the ox. Oxen were a symbol of service. Oxen were used for plowing or as a means of transportation. Oxen were used in sacrifices and food. Oxen were an important part of the local economy in Solomon

Today’s Verse: Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. ~Ecclesiastes 9:10 The name Stradivarius is synonymous with fine violins. This is true because Antonius Stradivarius insisted that no instrument constructed in his shop be sold until it was as near perfection as human care and skill could make it. Stradivarius observed, "God needs violins to send His music into

Today’s Verse: Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. ~Proverbs 14:4 Unless you are a farmer, an animal stall is not a place you want to frequent or spend a lot of time in. Animal stalls are where cows, donkeys, horses, and oxen are kept at night or during very bad weather. The animals eat and drink there, and it becomes the place where they do their animal business. The stall, or crib, can become very dirty, smelly, and unsightl

Today’s Verse: There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. ~Hebrews 4:9 What comes to your mind when you think of the word rest? I think for some of us, rest brings to mind sleep, peace, cessation of busyness, recovery, replenishment, and removal. However, our mediation this morning is on the Christian rest. Let us see what it means to find our rest. We see the principle. The principle of rest takes us back to when Joshua led the children of Israel to possess the l

Today’s Verse: He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. ~Proverbs 10:4 Solomon, as a king, judged the affairs of the people of the kingdom. He observed patterns and traits about people who were successful and people who were failures. He saw the good and bad of people. Proverbs is a compilation of the observations that he made. One of the areas of which he speaks of much is the contrast between the rich and the poor. The hand,

Today’s Verse: But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. ~Joshua 17:18 What is the greatest offer you have ever been given? I remember one of my aunts enrolling me into a contest as a very young child. She told me that the winner of the contest would be allowed into the toy section of a major departmen

Today’s Verse: He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. ~Proverbs 28:19 The United States is the land of opportunity. It is a country where anyone who is willing to work hard can achieve some measure of success. So, there are people who would be considered the haves: people who have enough or more than enough. Then, there are the have nots: those who struggle financially and do not have much in sa

Today’s Verse And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. ~1 Samuel 27:10 All schools provide progress reports during each quarter to assist a student and his parents to know how he is doing in his subjects and attentiveness to assignments. When a student is doing well and excelling, everyone is happy. When a student is slipping, attention is

Today’s Verse: Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: ~Proverbs 6:6 When someone is served a notice, it is an announcement of great importance requiring his attention. Typically, a served notice is mailed with a short amount of time to respond. This morning, we see a notice that God serves upon the man who is a sluggard. We see the nature of the sluggard. “Thou sluggard….” “Sluggard” is a word that describes someone who is careless, complacent, indiffer

Today’s Verse: And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. ~Ruth 2:19 One of the favorite questions family members or close friends ask each other at the end of a day is,“What did you do today?” In agriculture, harvest time is busy. During harvest, crops have

Today’s Verse: Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; ~Romans 12:11 The term “high-touch” describes someone who is proactive and enthusiastic, and delivers a high level of service to others. High-touch people make the people they serve feel wanted, served, satisfied, and happy that they are being given exceptional treatment. High-touch people are solution-oriented. Christians should be high-touch in whatever they do for the Lord. Our passage this morni

Today’s Verse: The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. ~Proverbs 12:24 I have read many books on the subject of leadership. Each book brings a perspective on leadership from someone who has expertly led others and organizations. Each book has one or more valuable take-aways that have helped me in understanding and executing my role as a leader. The Book of Proverbs has many great traits about leadership that we must give heed to. One