Proverbs 10

How are you enjoy reading the words of wisdom so far?

Sometimes I find it very easy to read the Proverbs… that’s when I use it to point out the faults of others.  And when I use it to make a point to my daughters (like the 1st verse in today’s passage (: ).

But other times, I find it hard to read the Proverbs… especially when I start to question myself… when I start to compare and contrast by asking myself…

“Am I being wise or am I being foolish?”

“How often am I doing what is wise?  And how often am I doing what is foolish?”

The way the book of Proverbs always use contrasts is a great way for us to consider our ways.

Let’s see what the Proverbs have to say to us today…

Bible Passage:  Proverbs 10

Hmmm… so many things to think about today.  The parts about lying lips struck a chord today – given some of the crazy things that has been happening in the office lately… but I choose not to dwell on it.

Instead, I would just like to focus on something that I have been very guilty of neglecting recently

He who gathers in summer is a wise son; 
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

~ Proverbs 10:5 (NKJV)

The NIV version uses even harsher words…

He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, 
   but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

“He who sleeps during harvest is a D I S G R A C E F U L son!

Now… on the first reading, I was thinking that this was a warning against laziness.  And it is (in fact, I just used this to ‘teach’ my daughter).

Then as I sat down to write my impressions on this chapter, the word “harvest” kept popping in my mind.

And then I thought about what Jesus said…

“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

~ Matt 9:37

Ouch!  That hurts!

Proverbs 10:5 reminded me about evangelism… and how lazy I have become recently towards this.

Although the disciples have been following Jesus closely for some time by now, Jesus still had to remind them that they should not get lazy… the harvest of those who do not know Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is still plentiful… and that there can never be enough workers to go out and harvest the field.

Now… the son who gathers the harvest at the right time (summer for the farmer) is wise and prudent.  But the son who sleeps through the time is a disgrace to the father!

Just consider what the father has lost out … simply because his son is lazy!

• All his hard work of toiling and labouring under the sun for the crops to grow is now all wasted.  The crops is left to wither and die and be bounded up to be cast into the fire.
• All the grain that could have been harvested and sold, or kept … now blown away by the winds.
• All the …

It pains me actually to think about this now…

I am the son… and I have let my Father down tremendously.

I would never want to allow myself to be a “disgrace to my Father”…. but I guess there is no hiding from the truth.  I am…

This really reminds me of how important we should view our life’s purpose in this world.  It is not just to sleep through it and ‘hope’ someone else would be doing the work.  It is not just busying ourselves with things other than the harvest and think that we have done our bit for God already.

I guess a lot of us are guilty of this…

We get used to the idea of not being in the fields harvesting.  We are happy to cook.  We are happy to lead Bible Studies.  We are happy to interpret.  We are happy to sing hymns.  We are happy to teach.

We are happy to just be in church.

But we are lukewarm to the idea of going out to the fields and harvest.

Last December, we read Revelations and in the warning to the church of Laodecia which I am sure many of you are familiar with, the Lord threatened to spit the church out of His mouth… simply because the church was lukewarm (Rev 3:16)

So the challenge today is this:

Am I ready to re-ignite myself to go out to the fields once again and start telling people about Jesus once again?

Door to door evangelism fevour has died down a fair bit.  Isn’t it time to light the zeal once again and not comfort ourselves that we are faithfully praying every week for evangelism?

I guess we need to continually ask myself… am a wise or lazy son?  Because so very often, I would prefer to sleep on a Sunday afternoon than to go knocking on doors.

I must stop just talking about sharing the good news but never act on it.

Give us the strength O Lord to be that labourer you seek.

Forgive us O Lord for not being that labourer you seek.

Have mercy O Lord and help us not to disgrace you again.