Day 54 - 90 Days in Proverbs - Slack Hands

Proverbs 10:4-5 [ESV] 4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

The CSB uses the term “idle hands.” It reminds me of the phrase “idle hands are the devil’s workshop” – a phrase that is commonly attributed to the Bible but is not actually in the Bible.

However, the book of Proverbs does have a lot to say about not doing your share, especially during the harvest time. Using the term “slack hands” (as both the KJV and ESV do) gives a different connotation than “idle hands.” Slack hands are not necessarily hands that are not working at all, as the term “idle hands” would imply. These hands are working, they just aren’t pulling their fair share of the work.

It reminds me of something like this: several of you are moving a couch and one person isn’t holding up their end, requiring the rest of you to struggle harder as you have to handle more weight than you should. In any shared burden, each of us has to work at full capacity or it puts a greater burden on the others.

It is the same thing with the spiritual harvest. We are called to be fellow laborers in accomplishing God’s harvest work.

Jesus offered some insight on this as well. Luke 10:1-3[ NIV] 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”

Jesus was sending the 72 out, even though He knew there were not enough of them to finish the harvest. Part of their job was to ask the Father for more laborers to help in His harvest work.

The same is true of us, sweet sisters. We must labor will all our might, using all our resources and abilities in the work God gives us to do. No slack-handed laborers allowed! We must also understand our limits and ask the Father to send more help for the task at hand.

Whether the work God has given you is blogging, feeding the poor, comforting the hurting, visiting prisoners or any other of the good work, you know that you alone won’t reach every poor, needy or hurting person. So, we must also not have slack hands when it comes to praying for God to send more laborers to join us in His good works. We must put our best efforts into those prayers as well.

There is work to be done, my sisters. We are laborers with God and each other in His harvesting work. Let’s each do our part, working hard and praying for more help.

Prayer — Father God, Please help me to labor diligently in the work You have given me to do, using the full power of the Holy Spirit. Please also send more laborers to the harvest. The world is hurting, searching, and desperate for You. Those of us trying to make a difference cannot do it alone. We need You Holy Spirit, we need Your blessing, inspiration and support, and we need more workers until the day the harvest is done. In Jesus’ name I ask. Amen.

Your thoughts —  

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