“Lazy Losers” – FBC Morning Light (5/27/2024)

Well a good Monday morning to you. I hope your week is going to get off to a good start today. It's an interesting day in my life.

You know, I have a Facebook friend. He's more of an acquaintance. I know him. We know each other.

But early on in every year, he posts a thing on Facebook and says, it's only three more months until my birthday.

And every week he's reminding people of how many days it is until his birthday. Well, I'll reserve my comments for such a thing as that.

Well, today is my birthday. So you don't have to send me any happy birthdays or anything like that.

Just send money. No, I'm just kidding. Just kidding. But anyway, these milestones, they come, don't they?

And we can look back on all that God has done in our lives over the years.

We can marvel at his grace. We can rejoice in his mercy.

And we can be thankful for all that he has done. And we can trust him for however many years are left ahead.

Well, today in our Bible reading, we're in Proverbs still, reading chapters 21 through 24.

Later in the week, we'll be moving to other passages. I think tomorrow we're going to be reading in Song of Solomon in the next couple of days.

But anyway, today, chapters 21 through 24. Have you seen this?

You drive into the city, and you come up to a stoplight, and there's one or more people, sometimes one at each intersection, just standing there with a sign that says, homeless, whatever their situation, and they want you to contribute money.

And I've seen some of these individuals, and you'd kind of like to stop the car, get out, and find out the story, wouldn't you?

But here's this guy, he seems to be perfectly able -bodied. He's not lying down, crippled in a wheelchair or anything like that.

He's young enough and physically strong enough and capable. You'd wonder, well, why doesn't he have a job?

Why doesn't he go to work? Why is he here? What's the deal?

I've heard from those who work in rescue missions and some such that there are some panhandlers like this who, that's their preferred life.

That's what they'd rather do. They don't want to go out and get a job. I don't know who is and who isn't in that kind of a situation.

But I contrast that guy with another guy who's likewise young and able -bodied and working at the intersection.

He's at an intersection and he has a squeegee and a rag in his hand. And when the light turns red and your car stops, he wants to come up to your car, wash your windows, clean your window for you, hoping that you'll roll down your window and give him a contribution.

Of the two, which are you more inclined to drop a couple bucks in a bucket?

I know my inclination. I'm inclined to reward the guy who's at least trying to do something and work and not just stand there and look forlorn and say, come on, throw me some money.

I bring that out simply because of what we read in our reading today.

In each of these chapters there's comments about the lazy person. So in chapter 21, verse 25, it says the desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.

All day long he craves and craves. The lazy person doesn't lack any desires.

Oh, he wants. He wants and wants and wants and wants, but he doesn't have the drive, the diligence to do anything about his craving other than maybe stand there and hope you'll give a handout.

I don't know. And by the way, I'm not broad -brushing here. Like I said, I'd like to find out the stories of some of these individuals.

I know that there are many people who suffer from some debilitating situations that I don't want to broad brush, but I do know that there are some who are just plain lazy and relying upon the generosity of well -wishers, if you will.

Chapter 22, verse 13, we find that the truly lazy person will find any excuse to get out of work.

The sluggard says, there's a lion outside. I shall be killed in the streets. Maybe you've known individuals like this, who can come up with the craziest excuses to get out of the work that they've been given to do.

What then is the end of the sluggard, the lazy person? Where is this all going to lead him?

In chapter 24, verses 30 and following, we get some insight. The writer says,

I passed by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense. Behold, it was all overgrown with thorns and the ground was covered with nettles.

He didn't have the gumption to take care of the property. The stone wall was broken down.

He says, then I looked, I saw and considered it. I looked and received instruction. 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.

Oh, what a tragic way to live. What a tragic way for life to end, just constantly in want, just because he's too lazy to lift a finger, coming up with all kinds of excuses to avoid it.

But in the end, it's a miserable way to live. May the

Lord deliver us from such a character. Our Father and our God, may we be a diligent people, diligent about the work that you have called us to do, given us to do.

Whatever that calling is, whatever that field is, help us to be diligent, we pray.

We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. All right. Well, I hope your week gets off to a great start.

And as you labor in your work, whatever it is, may your hand be diligent.