Reading for Today:
Proverbs Chapter 16
Gold Nugget
Verse 26: “The person who labors, labors for himself,
for his hungry mouth drives him on.”
Commentary
There’s no better
motivation than a hungry mouth. Once on a construction site a young man was
complaining to an older man that he had had enough and was about to quit! The
old man asked him, “Are you married, son?” The young man replied, “Yes.” The
old man asked him if he was making payments on his furniture, and the answer
was again, “Yes.” Further he asked, “Does your wife like to eat three times a
day and do you pay a utility bill?” “Yes”, he replied again. Why are you asking
me all this? The old man simply replied, “A woman just don't feel in the mood when she's sitting hungry on a cold floor.” I’ll never forget that old story. People
too often do not make the connection between what you do today and how much it
prevents or ensures things down the road. Today’s “gold nugget” reminds us
that, “The person who labors, labors for
himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on.” Just like the carrot before the horse, the
promise of reward is a real life motivation for the studious worker.
A wise man
realizes that his hard work today does not necessarily guarantee him a reward
today. When he is lying in his bed at night with cool ac blowing over his body,
a full belly from a satisfying meal and the comfort of knowing it will all be
there when he wakes up is a result of not what he earned today, but because of
those previous days when he pressed on even when he really didn’t feel like it.
Just as the wise man realizes that his work today ensures his tomorrow, the
lazy man enjoys taking the day off not connecting it to him being hungry the
next week. The principle of reaping and sowing is as prevalent in the bible as
any other topic. The thing we know about reaping and sowing is the seasonal
period that it teaches. There are long hard days of laboring before you will
have a harvest to reap. Don’t look at your present situation and use that to
decide what you will do today. See what you want down the road and do today
what contributes to getting you there.
Prayer
Lord, I know that I
have a lot of work to put in for a reward that I know is still far off. Help me
to keep focused on the harvest time and commit to the laboring today that will
bring that harvest in its season. Amen
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In this day of instant gratification, we often need reminded that some things are worth working for that lie ahead.
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