Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:4 - The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of our great nation.  He is also known for his clever quips and quotations.  Some of the most notable are “Honesty is the best policy” and “Well done is better than well said.”  After reviewing some of these quotes, one that sticks out is “It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.”  Many of the quotations of Benjamin Franklin have their basis in Biblical principles. 

Solomon advises us that to be rich, you must be diligent in your efforts.  I think this applies to not only material riches but also spiritual riches.  An employer looks for an employee that is a hard worker, one that gets the job done, on time and produces quality work.  A lazy employee will not last long and he will not be satisfied.  We want our children to be diligent in their responsibilities, putting in the effort that will produce the best results according to their abilities.   Solomon says that if we are diligent, we will be happy, but if we are lazy we will not be rewarded.

Let’s translate this over to our spiritual walk with God.  In order for us to be happy, we must be faithful in our efforts to stay in the Word of God, be consistent in our prayer life, and grow in the knowledge or our Lord.  This is the source of true joy and happiness.  Can we expect to grow closer to God if we are lackadaisical in this relationship?  Solomon warns us that true happiness, doesn’t just happen.  It requires persistent and fervent effort.