Take 2 on Proverbs 24
Referencing Proverbs 24:30-34 (NAS)
‘I passed by the field of the sluggard and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,” then poverty will come as a robber and your want like an armed man.’ Proverbs 24:30-34 (NASB)
In my last blog I concentrated on the “weeds” in our flower garden. This entry is addressing the wall surrounding our field. In verse 31 it says that “the stone wall was broken down.” This passage reminds me of Nehemiah 1:3, which says, “The remnant there in the province who survived captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” For many years Jerusalem’s walls and city were in total ruin. The walls of the city remained unrepaired, leaving its people utterly defenseless and very vulnerable. God burdened Nehemiah’s heart to help rebuild the city and the surrounding wall around Jerusalem to protect them from their enemies.
I love personal stories, so here’s another one….I am an elementary school counselor at the moment. I really enjoy my job and one of my main responsibilities is to train children in being responsible adults. As a counselor, I have teaching moments with my kids and we call this guidance class. On one particular occasion I taught the students a song. I wrote it, made it simple, and gave hand motions to it so the kids would remember. This one is called, “Do Something Nice.” It goes something like this…."Stop, Cool Dooowwnnn, Think, Dooo Something Nice!” It has a jazzy feel and the kids apparently love it or they’re just being nice and saying they do. It reminds them they can control how they respond to their own problems. After giving them this lesson, I had a 1st grader, who will remain anonymous, decide to show me his new song, which went something like this….”Stop, Drop and ROOOLLLLL.” It was the exact jazzy tune I had come up with, including hand motions. I tried my hardest to fight back the tears of laughter when I told the 1st grader, “Wow impressive! I love your new song!” This totally reminded me of when God is trying to teach us how to keep our walls secure and our gates protected, but we want to tell Him how to do it. We have our own ideas of how our city should look and perform, and at times, trying to impress Him with our own creative ways of thinking.
The wall around our city, or our relationship with the Father, is so important in our walk with God. Without our spiritual armor and wall of support, we might fall quickly into the enemy’s hands. By keeping your wall supported in God’s Word, prayer and an intimate relationship with Him, the battle is even harder for your enemy to win! Oh, how at times I have left open areas in my walls!
In verse 32, the writer sees the importance of being disciplined in God’s Word. Verse 33 says, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.” Just a little sleep, just a little time away from God's word can cause us to be choked by the cares of the world. Oh how we need to heed this!
Verse 34 explains what actually will happen when being a sluggard, “Then your poverty will come as a robber and your want like an armed man.” When we are asleep, we are not aware of what is going on, what the enemy may be planning, or what lies ahead. Consequently, when poverty comes, it is unexpected, and we find ourselves completely surprised by the circumstances. Spiritual laziness can kill us, so it is imperative that we stay vigilant!
As always, I’m learning right there with ya!
Thankful For His Grace,
Amy