One minute read.
Daily Reading: Jeremiah 12:1-14:10, 1 Thess. 1:1-2:8, Psalm 79:1-13, Proverbs 24:30-34
Daily Verse: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” Prov. 24:33-34
Lazy poverty.
Too much rest leads to poverty. God didn’t create us to live off the efforts of other people; He made us to work. Each of us has skills that, if applied, will earn income. But if we don’t utilize the Lord’s gifts, we’ll find ourselves in poverty.
Working and enjoying the benefits of your efforts ranks as one of the many blessings of living in America. Liz Murray, the subject of Homeless to Harvard, exemplifies the outcome of hard work. Born in the Bronx to a dysfunctional family, she overcame homelessness and sexual abuse to earn a scholarship to Harvard University.
Liz didn’t expect other people to support her. After losing her mother to AIDS, she commited herself to finishing high school in two years instead of four. Entering an essay in a New York Times contest heralded her entrance to Harvard.
Don’t waste the talents God gave you. Anything becomes possible with the Lord and hard work.
Lord, forgive our laziness. Please guide and direct us to the lives You desire for us. Help us use the talents You gave us to honor and glorify You. Motivate us to work harder and become more like Jesus every day. IJNIP. Amen
