Proverbs 10:4-5

 Proverbs 10:4-5 (KJV) 4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,

But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

Proverbs 10:4-5 (NIV) 4 Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
5 He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 10:4-5 (CEV) 4 Laziness leads to poverty;
hard work makes you rich.
5 At harvest season
it's smart to work hard,
but stupid to sleep.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
slack hands - rmiyah - laxness, slackness, idle, lazy man, negligent, deceitful

diligent - charuwts - sharp, diligent, threshing sledge

Proverbs 10:4 is comparing and contrasting someone who is a lazy, deceitful, worker and one who is diligent and honest.

"He who has a slack hand becomes poor" means someone who looks like they are taking care of business but are really lazy, slothful, lax, negligent. There is deceit involved because they present to themselves, and to others, that they are doing something needful and productive. But the reality is they aren't. I think of those employees who punch in to work but do as little as they can get by with. They are "on the job" but doing little work. They showed up but aren't really there. They make a show of it and do enough just to get by.

Then there are those who make big promises but are really con artists and fraudulent. They are tricking you into thinking they are doing something. Ponzi schemes where they trick a person into investing in their "business" when there really is no business and they are merely trying to enrich themselves at your expense. There is no real work being done. It's merely an illusion, a sleight of hand.

Proverbs 6:6-11 (NIV)  6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.

According to this proverb, laziness produces poverty. You may think you are getting by with it, but people notice more than you realize. And God certainly knows what you are doing. If you aren't doing a quality job, He knows. If you are stealing time on the job, He knows. If you aren't giving a good day's work, He knows. If you are making money off the backs of others while you are doing nothing, He knows. When someone hires you and pays you, you are under contract to give them what they pay you for... a good day's work or accomplished project. God knows if you aren't fulfilling the contract. And when it comes time to evaluate employees, bosses know who was a good worker and who wasn't.

I have a friend who is one of the hardest working people I know. They go the extra mile to a fault! They work whatever hours the company requires and do a quality job of whatever they are tasked with. They are on the job on time, following the rules. They work well with others but there are always some who are slothful employees, pushing the boundaries at work. That makes more work for my friend because lazy employees don't do their job. But during this pandemic, the company is laying off people and guess who still has a job? My hardworking friend! Employees late coming in and early clocking out... employees that didn't accomplish their tasks and goals... employees who resisted being told what to do... employees who took smoking breaks, coffee breaks, bathroom breaks (beyond the normal)... employees who refused to do anything extra because it "wasn't their job"... employees who did sloppy work and didn't care about quality... employees who didn't work well with others and always causing drama... these are the employees the company is letting go.

"But the hand of the diligent makes rich" means those who are honest and work hard to produce quality will be rewarded.

Diligence - steady, earnest, and energetic effort; constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; the quality of working carefully and with a lot of effort; Steady application, constant effort, exertion; careful and persistent work or effort.

Poverty does not prepare but diligence involves extreme preparation. Poverty is reactive where diligence is proactive. "He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame".

If you owned a business, who would you hire? Would you pay an honest wage to someone who is lazy, deceitful, dishonest? You can't trust an employee like that. But you wouldn't mind paying an honest wage to someone who is industrious, hardworking, honest, diligent and trustworthy. I always told my nieces and nephews that you would have a greater chance at success if you are honest, hardworking and dependable. It's not a guarantee you will be financially rewarded for being honest, hardworking and dependable but you have a much better chance at it. And God WILL reward you one way or the other for being a diligent employee. The work of your hands will be blessed.

Let's say you are doing your very best to be a good employee in your company but for some reason they aren't rewarding you with higher pay or promotions. This does happen despite it being a pretty stupid thing to do. But, God sees you doing your best and He will reward you. Maybe your car will last without problems a lot longer than a normal car. Saving you money. Maybe you happen upon a sale and you are able to buy something much cheaper than normal. Saving you money. Maybe you don't get sick as often and don't have to go to the doctor, saving you money. Maybe you don't have high blood pressure that you have to buy medicine for... yep, "saving you money"!

We've been talking about real life here, good workers versus bad workers and the consequences of both. But let's go beyond our work life and look at our home life. Are we being good stewards of the blessings God has given us? Are we keeping our home clean? Are we raising our children right? Are we maintaining the car God gives us? Are we washing and carefully keeping the clothes God blessed us with? Are we taking care of the healthy body God has given us?

Or, are we neglecting the yard because we want to play video games? Are we not cleaning the house because we'd rather binge watch on Netflix? Are we not maintaining our car (washing it, changing the oil, taking it for repairs, getting new tires) because it's too much trouble? Are we throwing our clothes in the floor because it's too hard to put them in the drawers and closet? Are walking on our clothes because it's too hard to do laundry? Are we sitting our kids in front of the TV because we are too lazy to engage and help them and teach them? Do we send them off to daycare or to others too much because we don't want to take care of them ourselves? Are we neglecting to exercise, eat right, take our vitamins because it's too hard?

Would you want to give a big, new house with all the latest technology to someone who can't even keep their room clean? Would you give someone a brand new Chevrolet Suburban with all the latest gadgets to someone who trashes it, never washes it, doesn't even do routine maintenance on it? Would you give someone a whole new wardrobe when they would trash it by throwing it on the floor and walking over their clothes rather than washing, drying, and putting away? Would you give someone beautiful children if they were just going to ignore them and push them off on someone else? Would you give them a healthy body if they were going to deliberately damage it and waste it away?

We spend our time wishing we had this, that or the other but we are too lazy to take care of what we have! (This is not to condemn someone who CAN'T take care of something because they are elderly, handicapped, disabled, or don't have the skills. I'm talking about someone who has the ability but just won't use it.)

Thank God, God is not a you or me! Or none of us would have anything! We are all guilty of taking the blessings that God has given us for granted. God forgive me for taking Your blessings for granted and for any laziness on my part.

Now let's look at the spiritual side to this proverb. There are those in this world that like to moan, bitch, complain and whine about God and Christianity. But they will do absolutely diddly-squat to study and learn in order to know what they are talking about.

"If there really was a God, then why do bad things happen."
"Religion is just a way to control the masses."
"The Bible contradicts itself."
“Why would a good God send people to hell?”

They like to throw questions like this out to excuse their unbelief. As if no one has ever asked these questions before and they're are so smart to come up with them! Sorry, but if you were to actually put some work and effort into studying the Bible, God and Christian beliefs, you would find some of your questions have answers. But people are generally too lazy to read, research, ask questions, sit under teaching. So they use those for excuses.

Then there are Christians who are true believers in Jesus Christ. But they have gotten lazy in their spiritual growth. We probably all have at one time or another. We get busy with other things and we tend to push God further and further back into the background of our lives.

It takes determination, effort, self-discipline, and... you got it!... DILIGENCE to pursue God. Now, on a job, we may or may not get rewarded for diligence and hard work. At home, we may or may not get immediate gratification for a job well done. (God sees and always rewards us one way or another, but you know what I mean.) But there is one place in our lives that always, 100% guaranteed, gets rich rewards for determination, effort, self-discipline and diligence and that is spiritually.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

When we make God our focus and value Him as our most precious element in life, we will pursue and seek Him with effort and diligence. And we are richly rewarded far beyond what we can comprehend!!!!

We have opportunities every day to grow in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We have opportunities every day to learn more about God, to read His Word, to serve others, to be obedient and productive for the kingdom of God. You may ask, "What opportunities are you talking about?"

When you wake up in the morning, you have been given time on this earth. That's an opportunity!
If you can get out of bed and move. That's an opportunity!
When you eat breakfast and have your coffee, God has given this to strengthen your body. That's an opportunity!
If you have an hour... That's an opportunity!
If you own a Bible then God has blessed you with His. Very. Own. Words! That's an opportunity!
If you have a television and can get Christian programs... That's an opportunity!
If you have a laptop and an internet connection... That's an opportunity!

You see, we have all kinds of opportunities in our day to spend time with God, learn from God, worship God, serve God. Those are opportunities. But too often we waste those opportunities. God gives us another day and we spend it on everything else BUT God. God gives us a moving, healthy body and we waste it doing anything but for God's service. God gives us food and drink to keep up our strength and we take it for granted and waste it on fueling us for a job, a jog, time laying on the couch watching TV. God gives us a Bible but we let it sit on a dusty shelf, never opening it. God gives us a television and laptop but instead of using it to research and learn about God, we use it to watch cartoons, soap operas and sleazy prime time fluff. Or we use our laptop to cruise Facebook, peruse Pinterest, play games or watch videos.

There may be nothing wrong with watching TV, sleeping in late, taking a solitary jog, going to work, checking Facebook, etc. What I'm saying is God has given us opportunities to pursue Him in our day and we would rather do anything BUT seek Him. We take Him for granted and don't work hard and diligently in order to get to know Him and grow spiritually.

Jesus was followed by a huge crowd because He was healing the sick and doing miracles. When they became hungry, Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 fishes and miraculously divided it in order to feed the 5,000. They were all full. When Jesus left, they followed Him. Why? Because He was doing things for them... healing the sick, doing miracles, providing them with food. But here is what Jesus said to them:

John 6:26-27 26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

2 Peter 1:5-10 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Hebrews 6:10-12 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Matthew 6:19-21 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

• Look back at the definition of "slack hands" and think of an example of someone who fits that description. It could be someone close or a celebrity, anyone that comes to your mind. Journal about how that person fits that description.
• Take an honest inventory of your life. Are there areas where you have had "slack hands"? It's a good time to repent and ask God to help you do better.
• Now look at the definition of "diligent". Why do you think this word could also reference a threshing sledge? Journal about what "diligent" means to you and how a threshing sledge is appropriate.
• Can you think of an example of someone who has NOT been rewarded on the job for hard work, honesty and diligence? (It may be you, a co-worker, someone you know.) How do you feel about it? Did you ever think about how God can reward you in other ways? Can you think of rewards God has blessed this hardworker with, aside from the ungrateful company?
• Have you taken God's blessings in your life for granted? Have you been a good steward of what God has blessed you with? Why or why not?
• Have you put forth effort, work and diligence in order to pursue God? Sometimes we do and sometimes we get lazy about it. Do you need to re-prioritize right now? Do you need to make some effort? Do you need a little self discipline in order to force yourself to take time for God? Let me be the first to congratulate you because you have a desire to do it. But it's not always easy. There is a reason for that. But it's so worth the effort! Ask God right now to help motivate you, to help you see the opportunities, to give you a hunger and thirst for Him and to bless your efforts to pursue Him.

Click here for all my studies on Proverbs.