Scripture Reading:

Proverbs 13:4-6

Proverbs 13:4

The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. 

Frustration is the lot of the sluggard. He is always waiting for his ship to come in, constantly dreaming of that utopian retirement where he can sit on the beach sipping piña coladas until the end of his days. This fellow will never see his dreams come true. Each dream is just another mirage in the desert, and as he grows older, hopefulness gives way to hopelessness and despair. Bitterness and emptiness characterize his life, and should he decide not to commit suicide, the
best he can hope for is to desensitize himself to the painfulness and crushing disappointment of life. Indeed, the life of the sluggard is a hard path. But the other path for him is unthinkable. To humble himself, repent of his sin of sloth, and submit to God, in this area of his life would run contrary to his natural inclinations.

You should notice that God’s blessing visits the soul of the diligent, and no mention is made of the body or physical well-being here. The meaning of the word “fat” here is “full” or “fulfilling.” It is true that the most rewarding fulfillment we get out of life is not achieved by just filling our bellies with food or decorating our homes with tens of thousands of expensive ornaments. Diligent people are always the happiest people, because they are involved in productive labor. All productive labor will take dominion of God’s earth and will in one way or another bless the lives of others. Whether that labor is charitable
work, ministry-oriented, or trade in the free market, in one way or another it blesses others in the economy with food, shelter, and other comforts. Blessing the lives of others is what makes our lives fulfilling.

Proverbs 13:5

A righteous man hates lying: but a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame. 

Some will tolerate lying, some will lie when it seems to benefit them, and others will lie practically all the time. But the righteous man hates lying, first as it appears within himself. He corrects any semblance of lying in his children. His distaste for the smell of lying is so intense that it heightens his sensitivity to all forms of deceit, to the extent that he can detect the slightest lie when he hears it. The wicked man is never truly loved and admired. He may be lauded for his power and achievements, but people still want to keep their distance from this man. Though he may be reasonably kind and cordial at the right times, he cannot be taken as a trustworthy man. If you say the wrong thing, he may respond in explosive anger. When the truth is known, the man is only out for himself. Whatever gifts he may have given to others were only intended to aggrandize himself. Eventually, his friends, relatives, and coworkers will learn that this man is not a true friend.

Proverbs 13:6

Righteousness keeps him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthrows the sinner. 

The Apostle Paul instills this same truth when he calls for the breastplate of righteousness as an essential part of the Christian armory (Eph. 6:14). This acts as a protective defense against the accusations of the devil. This is the righteousness of Christ, and the sanctifying work of Christ in our lives (1 Cor. 1:30). The justifying righteousness of Christ positions us in the way, and the sanctifying righteousness that comes through humble repentance by His Word and Spirit preserves us from the temptation to walk down the paths of rebellion and destruction. Still, passages like this seem to call into question the preservation of the believer in the way. If a man is counted in the number of the upright and he is walking in the way, how could he possibly not be preserved in the way? The answer is simple. True
believers will never depart from the way because they do take these warnings seriously, and because they will put on the spiritual armor, and because they do read their Bibles, mortify their sin, and lead a godly life. Some refuse to take these warnings seriously because they say they believe in the doctrine of the “Preservation of the Saints,” as if believing this doctrine exempts them from the dangerous battle ahead of them. What they do not understand is that a belief in the
sovereign preservation of God must also include a belief in the Word of God, the warnings of Scripture, the need for persevering courage in the battle, and unrelenting, constant faith in Christ. Should a man claim that he believes in God’s sovereign protection and then lay off the breastplate of righteousness, we would conclude that he does not trust in God’s protection enough to put on the equipment God has given to him. He sees the breastplate as unimportant in the attacks of
the evil one. He claims to believe in God’s sovereignty, but evidently he doesn’t believe enough to follow God’s sovereign orders.

Every sin mortified strengthens us for the next battle. Each victory will form another layer of breastplate, which enables you to take on the more severe attacks that come. Men who are in the habit of reading the Word, acting upon it, repenting, and mortifying sin are protected in their walk. Conversely, those who practice wickedness and break God’s laws with impunity progressively walk down the path to destruction. These are what the Proverbs refer to as “sinners.” When wickedness prevails as it did in the time of the French Revolution, nobody was safe. Robespierre and his cohorts sent thousands of their political enemies to the guillotine; but it wasn’t long before the same furor that took down his enemies destroyed Robespierre on that same guillotine. Wickedness overthrows the sinner, every time.

Family Discussion Questions:

1. What are the desires of our souls? Does God meet these desires? How does our work bless the lives of others?

2. What is your heart attitude towards lying?

3. Where are you in the spiritual war right now? Are you weakening towards sin, or strengthening by way of mortification and heart repentance?