Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12

This is a simple admonition here in Proverbs - and yet if we will look at it carefully, it will yield to us some very helpful information. 

The first thing we see is that we are to apply our heart to discipline.  The word "apply" here means, "to bring to" - thus what God is saying to us is that we need to bring our hearts to something.  Here we read that what we bring our hearts to is discipline.  The word discipline is "musar" which means to instruct with discipline.  It refers most often to the discipline given by a father - both by word and by the rod. 

It is very easy when discipline is applied to us for us to not allow it to reach the heart.  We may hear the words - and receive the correction - but we do not bring our hearts to it.  True correction and discipline is for the heart - not the bottom.  It might be applied to the rear end with the rod - but the aim in these things needs to be directly to the heart.  Those who protest the use of the rod see the issue being striking a child - and they see it as evil in all circumstances.  But the godly parent is not aiming for the rear end alone.  They want to instruct with their discipline.  They want their words and their use of the rod to affect the heart of the child.  If you have their heart - in the end you will truly change their behavior.  What Solomon is saying though, is for the one receiving the discipline.  Apply your heart to what God is trying to teach you. 

If you are like me - there are times when you bristle at discipline.  It is not pleasant to have God apply the rod to us.  It is not a delightful thing for us to be corrected and rebuked.  But when God grants us discipline it is only for our best interests.  We can be absolutely assured of this.  Therefore we need to train ourselves to receive it joyfully - gratefully - and educationally.  If we do, maybe we won't need a second dose of discipline to complete the job for us. 

The second admonition here is that we also apply our ears to words of knowledge.  Knowledge here refers to more than just head-learning.  Solomon is telling us about a knowing of God and His ways.  He refers to a working knowledge - a practical knowledge - intimate knowledge - knowledge that truly changes the way we act.  The verb "apply" is assumed here - thus we are told to bring our ears to this knowledge that God is seeking to give us.  It is more than just hearing it - it is concentrated listening.  It is listening to learn and to apply it to one's life.  This is key to us becoming wise. 

If we will truly bring our hearts and ears to what God is seeking to communicate to us, we will be blessed greatly.  God longs for us to be wise and to know and follow Him with all our hearts.  These two practices - bringing our hearts to times of discipline - and bringing our ears to hear obediently what God says to us - will assure that we grow and personally experience all the godliness that God desires to give us when He works and speaks in our lives.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

Planning, to some this word is a blessing - to others (and honestly, I have to say I'm among this number) it is a difficult area of their lives.  Yet the Lord has some very pointed things to say here to us about the blessing that comes from diligent planning rather than hastily put together things that happen at the last minute.

We read first here that the plans of the diligent surely lead to advantage.  The word "plans" will help us to see what is meant here.  The word means a thought, purpose, or intention.  The idea is that we are thinking through things - considering their purpose and intention - and therefore laying plans that will not only plan an event - but also plan it with a sense of purpose in what it is to accomplish.  Here is something which every believer should seriously consider. 

God has given us the few years we have on this earth as a gift - but also as a responsibility and a trust.  How we use these years are important.  Do we have a purpose behind the things we are doing?  Are they working for us an eternal destiny and an eternal reward - or are we just committing "chonicide" (just killing time).  Too many times our lives are just being lived with no real purpose or intention behind what we are doing.  That leads to a wasted life. 

Solomon is telling us that the plans laid with a sense of purpose and intention to live for God's glory and purposes - are beneficial to us.  But they are not just haphazard plans - these are plans that are set in place with "diligence."  This word means something sharp and industrious.  It refers to those people who are living industrious lives that are sharp in their focus and intent.  The root word for this referred to a sharp threshing sledge.  This was used to cut the harvest - and was sharpened to make the job easier and more effective.  One might complain of the time spend with a wetstone or file sharpening the metal.  This is hard work after all - and it takes time to sharpen something well.  But if you are having to cut entire fields of grain - you know that the few moments spent sharpening your tool can save hours of time and much additional effort.  So plans laid by someone who thinks through purpose and intent can make living life much easier and more focused. 

These kind of plans lead surely to advantage.  Here is one of the times when I prefer the King James translation to the NASB.  The word here means an abundance.  It refers to an abundance of profit, materials, harvest, or whatever the word refers to and modifies.  It can also mean advantage or a more favorable position - a superior one to someone who has not planned and thought through their actions.  When you plan - you will have abundance and advantage over those who have not thought these things through well.  Planning does not negate labor and faithful effort at a task.  But it does halp ensure that the labor and effort invested is leading to a desired end. 

This way of living is compared to someone who is hasty.  The hasty man is the one who prefers reacting to life - than planning it.  The problem is that reacting to our circumstances can have us being led, not by our purpose and intent, but rather by whatever happens.  Circumstances begin being our leader - rather than us seeking to control many of our circumstances by moving in a planned direction and way.  When you live this way, the result is poverty.  Just as the plans of the diligent man will surely lead to an abundance and advantage - the lack of planning and diligent effort doing something well - will eventually lead us to poverty. 

God wants us to live on purpose.  He does not want us to spend our lives just reacting to whatever happens.  We can do much to guide our lives according to His principles if we will just spend time learning them and directing our lives according to them.  We will find that God's Word gives us a path - gives us counsel on how to live and how to plan to do things that God desires.  This will ensure that we live a life God blesses - not just one that He tries to guide through whatever emergency happens next.  To do this - with diligence and purpose . . . is wisdom indeed.

How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest"— 11 Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man. Proverbs 6:9-11

Everyone needs sleep to be able to function in life.  If you don't think this is true - try going without sleep for a few days.  But there is a problem that comes with too much sleep.  Too much sleep leads to laziness.  That is the problem that is pointed out in these 3 verses of Proverbs.

The question is put to the sluggard, "How long will you lie down?"  The writer of Proverbs asks when he is going to rise from sleeping.  Here is the problem - we have a man who is more interested in sleeping than in getting up and doing something.  There is not an illness involved here.  Neither is there a situation where someone has been up all night working or dealing with a child.  This is simply a man who does not want to get out of bed.  He doesn't want to do this because he is lazy. 

It is good to have a routine for yourself that includes a time when you are going to wake up in the morning.  For the vast majority of us who have jobs - this problem is solved by our employer, who expects us to show up for work each day when he dictates.  We have a choice to sleep in . . . it is just that this choice also involves not having a job, food, a place to live - you get what I'm saying.  Because of this fact of life - we wake up and get out of bed. 

If you want to rear a child well - you will also teach your child to get up and get out of bed as well.  For this reason it is good for your child to have a job - even if it is one that is around home.  I remember hearing a story about a farmer who taught his children to wake up and get working on the farm.  His sons were with him in the corn early one morning when a neighbor commented about this practice.  His comment was that he sure was working his boys hard to raise corn.  I love the comment the farmer gave in return.  He said, "Sir, I'm not raising corn - I'm raising sons." 

What a wonderful statement.  We teach our children to wake up and get going each day because we want to train them and teach them how to live in this world.  It would be far wiser for them to learn this lesson young and maintain it throughout life - than to learn it only because necessity demands it when they get a job.  When we leave it to necessity to educate them - they often learn the hard way.  They also resent having their laziness interrupted with something so harsh as . . . reality. 

Sleep is not the real problem here.  It is what comes with too much sleep.  There is sleep and slumber that is perfectly fine.  If we go to bed on time - we can get plenty of sleep every night.  Our problem usually is discerning between a regular night in life - and one that is special.  I know some will scoff at this - but it is also wise to teach children (and some adults as well) the difference between a school night - and a weekend or vacation night.  For big people reading this - that can also be said this way.  We need to discern the difference between a night when we have responsibilities the next day - and one where we do not. 

Our problem is that we not only sleep and slumber - but we also get the idea that we can fold our hands and not work.  When we decide that we don't have to be diligent - we don't have to be hard working - we don't have to be our best for work and our employer each day - we are making a big mistake.  The Scriptures teach us that God desires us to work hard - as if we are working for Him.  When it is time to work - God wants us to work.  This folding of the hands to rest is a picture of a man who values sleep and rest far more than he does hard work.  This may sound fine to most - but God made it clear to us from the Law that for six days we are to labor and do our work.  Work was not a part of the Fall of man into sin.  Work is something God had Adam do in the garden. 

When we don't work there will be troubles and problems for us in life.  First, we won't earn money with which to pay for food and other living items.  Second, if we have a job and don't work hard - we will eventually lose that job.  Finally, God calls us to work - and when we don't we often find ourselves doing things that we will regret later.  Too much free time - plays right into the hands of the devil.  I believe the old phrase is, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop."  No work and all sleep makes Johnny a sinful boy. 

When we don't work something is coming - and it would be wise if we were warned of what that is.  Poverty is coming if you don't wake up and work hard. 

The warning here from Solomon is that poverty is coming to us.  Two descriptions of how poverty is coming are given to us to warn us that this visitor is not welcome in our lives.  First, poverty is coming in like a "vagabond."  The word here means one who walks back and forth on a highway - and it referred to a highwayman.  These were people who walked about on the highways and roads who desired to rob those passing on the road.  They were thieves and robbers.  Thus what Solomon is saying here is that poverty is going to come upon you like a thief hiding near the road.  He will rise up suddenly and attack.  Usually this comes without a lot of warning.  That is the way it is for the sluggard who loves his sleep.  He thinks everything is fine - and then suddenly poverty hits him without him being ready for it. 

The second picture Solomon uses here to describe how poverty is coming is that of an "armed man."  What is fascinating about this word is that it actually refers to a man with a shield, and the same word is used of the protective scales of a crocodile.  Most commentators figure that this refers to an armed man with shield and with a sword.  This one comes upon you for the purpose of taking what you have.  I take a different tack on this word.  I think it refers to how hard it is to get out of poverty - especially a poverty caused by laziness, lack of discipline, and being a sluggard.  You can try to fight a man with a shield - but it is difficult.  He is going to be able to ward off all your attempts to harm him.  He will prevail more than once - so you have to be wise and fight hard to vanquish him.  When a man is lazy and in poverty - he is hit with the proverbial double-whammy.  He not only is poor, he is poor and unwilling to work hard to get out of poverty.  All of the stories I've heard about those overcoming poverty had to do with those who worked hard to do so.  I can't ever remember one where the man or woman slept in every day and barely worked when they did apply themselves. 

Laziness is a difficult thing to overcome.  Someone who loves their sleep does not train easily.  They want to relax and NOT work.  Thus they face a very daunting future.  They don't want to work - but they do want to eat.  They don't want to apply themselves - but they do want the stuff that comes from applying yourself.  Unfortunately, our government often gives no incentive to get out of this state as they offer welfare programs and far more incentive NOT to work than TO work.  Welfare to those who are just lazy is not a help - it hurts them and society as well.  Those truly in need can and should be helped by society - but we've gone well beyond that in our nation.  We've subsidized far too much laziness and lack of discipline.  That is why our growing socialism, and the laziness it encourages by punishing the successful and rewarding those who stick their hand out to the government, is going to receive a visit from these verses one day.  One day even nations will be visited by the highwayman and the man with the shield.  Unless we encourage work - hard work - and things like industry and frugality and discipline - we will continue to destroy the work ethic in our country.  When that work is completed, we will have put the finishing touches on a sleep-loving, work-hating society.  Oh, may God give us wisdom to wake up, work hard, make wise financial choices, and honor Him in it all.  May He have mercy on our country and help us to see that laziness, self-indulgence, and the thought that our government owes us a living are not helping us - these things are destroying us. 

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat. Proverbs 13:4

The sluggard is always wanting and never getting.  His life is a series of desires and cravings for everything under the sun.  He craves and speaks of all the things he wants - but does nothing to actually obtain them.  If someone gives them to him he is happy for a moment or two.  That happiness is soon replaced with another craving, though, and he returns to his world of constantly wanting something else.  In all his wanting though, he never lifts himself up to the level of work and labor.  These things would open his life up to actually seeing things happen.  He is lazy and undisciplined and therefore he never attains to things.  The proverb tells us that he gets nothing.  His hands are always empty - first they are empty of work and labor - and in the end they are empty of any real productivity and products.  He is a sad soul - doubly empty.

The soul of the diligent man is fat.  He works hard and labors diligently at the things he wants.  He allows desire to prod him to work and labor.  Thus his desires and wants become more than just a craving that taunts him.  He uses those desires to spur him to action - first action of the mind - and then action of life.  He works hard - and at the end of the day has something to show for it.  If not his actual goals - he has the satisfaction that he is one day closer to seeing them realized.  Along the way his soul gets fatter.  His mind is filled with thought of how to do things better, quicker, with greater quality and skill.  Along the way his will is set to do what is before him.  Along the way his emotions are kept in check - not dominating his life with unmet cravings and the whirlwhind of emotions they bring - but with excitment about what is coming as his work yields true rewards.  Even before he gets what he is working for - his soul remains fat with the good things that come from hard work and industry. 

One craves and is wracked by the unmet cries of his cravings.  He is starving to death physically, emotionally, and mentally as he has nothing to show for doing nothing.  The other is working toward something good - and all along the way good comes to him.  It is far better to be working toward something than to be only craving what you will never get.

Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,   Proverbs 6:6

The sluggard is commanded to go look at an insect.  But this particular insect, the ant, has much to teach him.  The ant is a remarkable creature who exercises foresight, industry, and economy in what it does. The sluggard has none of these things.  The word sluggard simply means a lazy, useless one.  The interesting thing is what this laziness is associated with in Scripture.  It is associated with moral failure - with getting nothing out of life - with tardiness - and with arrogance and pride. 

God tells the sluggard to go observe the ant, to see what the ant does.  The ways of the ant are what are to be viewed - and that takes us back to her industry, her hard work, her discipline to get things done at the proper time.  The sluggard is told that if he would emulate the ant - he would become wise.

It would be easy for us to look at the sluggard and judge him.  But before we are too hasty we might want to take a look at ourselves and see if there are any similarities.  The current state of Christianity too often mirrors the sluggard.  As a society we have more free time than just about any other society before us - and yet our ignorance of the Scritpures is astounding.  Things like television, movies, and a thousand other pursuits dominate our lives while the work of the kingdom often languishes for workers.  We approach children's and youth sports with an almost religious fervor - as well as any other activity that we can do for our children.  Yet when it comes to our children being taught the things of the Lord - we yet languish again.  For all our free time it is interesting to note that one of the most oft heard complaints I experience is that our families and individuals struggle with the pace and hectic nature of their lives. 

Maybe we too can learn a great deal from the ant and her ways?  Maybe we should observe her and learn - and become wise?

  Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding,    Proverbs 4:1

Today I listened again to a radio commercial that bashed fathers as being ignorant, disobedient, deceptive, and untrustworthy.  The children were painted as smarter and more morally astute than their dad - who was represented, as usual, as a buffoon.  Some of this treatment is deserved, because too many men are very self-centered and self-absorbed.  They don't really offer much to their families in the way of moral training or moral direction.  They are the buffoon who sits on the couch after a day of work - beckoning for more beer as they watch television - usually sporting events which now run nonstop on the various ESPN channels.  But this is not how things are supposed to be - Scripture has a different model for us to follow.

"Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father . . . "  Here is where things are radically different in the way of biblical instruction.  The father is the one calling to the sons and daughters - and he calls with a desire to offer valuable "instruction" to them.  This word instruction acutally means to discipline, chasten, correct, warn, and instruct.  This is not your garden variety "Father Knows Best" talks - this is serious stuff!  This dad is not merely trying to teach his children something - he is committed to doing it even if it means that chastisement and correction are involved.  Here is a dad that seriously wants his children to walk in the ways of wisdom.  He desires for his kids to follow the Lord. 

Any man who desires this knows that it will mean discipline and correction will be necessary.  Children don't just go in the right direction automatically.  In fact, because of the fall of man, you can be assured that they will NOT follow God as a natural course of living.  They will need to be taught God's ways - and they will also need to be disciplined and chastised so that they learn to reject their flesh and embrace wisdom.  Do not let us be like Eli, who offered a half-hearted rebuke to his sons.  We need to correct and train for righteousness - preparing our children for the ultimate teacher, the Holy Spirit, to convict and bring them to the Savior.

The godly father also commands his children's attention in these matters. This is not something we can forgoe in life - it is a matter of life and death for our children.  We must call them to listen and to know and understand as a result of what we do in disciplining them.  It is only this way that they will get the discernment and truth that they will need to walk with God and follow as they should in His way.

Far from being the local buffoon, the man of God is called to a high calling.  He is called to direct and discipline his children in the ways of the Lord.  To do this will require us to give ourselves to the Lord and His ways.  It will require us to reject the image of men in today's society - ignore the insults and caricatures of weak men - and instead forge ahead in the way God would have us live.  It is my hope that from examples like this - people would see men - see fathers as indispensable to a goodly society that knows the right and rejects the wrong.  Because whether our soceity knows it or not - they are absolutely vital to its success!