Foundation Scripture:
He becomes poor who works with a slack and idle hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. Proverbs 10:4-5 AMPC
1.God’s Word is the Handbook for Our Lives.
We are God’s children and He desires that we should be blessed.
He gives us instruction, through His Word, on how we can please Him, and be blessed.
We will never be blessed if we are lazy, slothful and sloppy.
In anything and everything we put our hand to, we should do the best we can.
We should be diligent to do a proper job – not half a job – from beginning to end.
We should always endeavor to finish what we begin.
2. Laziness Leads to Poverty.
If you are slack and lazy, you will be poor.
Learn a lesson from the ant.
Proverbs 6:6-11 AMPC – “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise! – 7 Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest. 9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep — 11 So will your poverty come like a robber or one who travels [with slowly but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless].”
It is not difficult to be poor – all you have to do is nothing.
Proverbs 19:15 AMPC – “Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and the idle person shall suffer hunger.”
If you are lazy, you will starve.
3. The Diligent will Rule over the Slothful.
Proverbs 12:24 AMPC – “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slothful will be put to forced labor.”
When you are lazy, you will never have control over your own life.
You will have to work, but it will be for someone else.
You will build their wealth with your “slave-labor.”
Instead of building your own wealth by your diligence.
The diligent man will always end up the boss over the slothful man.
4. God Will Bless the Work of Your Hands.
Deuteronomy 28:12 KJV – “The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand…”
Deuteronomy 30:9 KJV – “And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good…”
God will bless the work of your hands, not the seat of your pants.
5. Don’t Chase Rainbows.
Proverbs 12:11 AMPC – “He who tills his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits is lacking in sense and is without understanding.”
Proverbs 28:19 AMPC – “He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.”
Some people think that having faith in God to provide, means that they sit back on their laurels and do absolutely nothing, but that is a fantasy.
They are lacking in sense and are without understanding.
The blessing of diligent, hard work is abundant provision.
But when we try to find some other solution, without working (like a get-rich-quick scheme), we will invariably end up poverty-stricken, because we have bad judgement.
6. Diligence Leads to Blessings and Abundance.
Proverbs 27:23 AMPC – “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds.”
God blesses faithful, diligent hands that work.
Laziness should not even be named among God’s people.
Some people think that being in full-time ministry means that they can sit back and do nothing, but they are mistaken.
When you work for God, you should make a greater effort to be faithful and to do an excellent job.
Colossians 3:23 KJV – “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”
7. In All Labor, there is Profit.
Proverbs 14:23 AMPC – “In all labor there is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty.”
It is good to have big dreams and plans.
But if you only talk about them and never get up and work to make it happen, you will never see them come to pass.
Proverbs 20:4 AMPC – “The sluggard does not plow when winter sets in; therefore he begs in harvest and has nothing.”
There is a time and a season to work and to do what you need to do.
Be careful to not allow opportunities to pass you by.
There is a time to work hard and there is a time to reap the reward of your labor.
The “work” part comes before the “enjoying the reward” part.
Proverbs 14:4 AMPC – “Where no oxen are, the grain crib is empty, but much increase [of crops] comes by the strength of the ox.”
If you did not have the ox, you would not have to clean up behind it.
But without the ox, there is no increase, no income.
You can’t take on a business, unless you are also prepared to take responsibility for it.
You have to be prepared to work hard, and do the necessary, unpleasant jobs, with a good attitude.
It takes work and commitment to bring the blessing in your life, but it is worth the effort to have the rewards.
8. Make a Decision Today to Engage and Be Diligent.
Write the vision.
Move in that direction every day.
Immerse yourself in prayer and God’s Word.
Pray like it all depends on God, and then go do like it all depends on you.
Just get up and go.
Do not hang around the talkers, hang around the doers.
Do not surround yourself with victims and negative people.
Hang around people who are positive and who are accomplishing things.
Your tongue is the rudder of your life.
Live it, speak it, do it.
