May 27
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt. . . . A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth! (12: 27, 19: 24)
SLOTH DOESN’T FINISH THINGS.
When we think of a lazy person, we think of someone who doesn’t start things. But there is also a kind of person who is always making plans and always starting but never finishing any project. They don’t stay at jobs long, and they always blame the job itself rather than their own lack of stick-to-it-iveness. Either they lose interest because of a lack of inner passion for anything (May 26) or they have failed to count the cost and so find themselves overwhelmed.
And so the sluggard fails to bag his quarry (12: 27). His meal goes cold on him before he can get to it (19: 24). If you are someone who doesn’t finish things, remember the one who loved you to the very end (John 13: 1) and did not give up until he was able to say, “It is finished” (John 19: 30).
Is there a project you have not been able to finish? Stir up your love for the people who would benefit from it, look to the “finisher” of our faith (Hebrews 12: 2 KJV), and finish it.
Prayer:
Lord, indeed, “having loved [your] own . . . [you] loved them to the end” (John 13: 1). Now make me like you, Lord Jesus. Make me someone who does what I promise and finishes what I start. Amen.
Keller, Timothy; Keller, Kathy. God's Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs (Kindle Locations 2762-2774). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.