After pondering our scripture verse for today, I've now got a little
tune ringing in my head. Perhaps you're familiar with it, the chorus goes
like this:
Excuses, Excuses; you'll hear them every day.
The devil will supply them if from church you'll stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the devil always loses,
And so to keep us now from living right, he offers us EXCUSES!
Are you one for making excuses all the time? Maybe you'll better be able
to answer that question after looking at Proverbs 15:19, which says:
The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the
righteous is made plain.
The slothful person is of course, a lazy individual. He is a SLUG! He
indulges in inactivity, has a habit of being idle. In other words, he's
not inclined to work. (Sounds like a fellow who's going nowhere to me!)
The Bible says this person is as an hedge of thorns. What does this mean?
Think for a moment of being hedged in by thorns.... Where are you going
to go?? Nowhere! As a matter of fact, every direction you take looks like
it will hurt. That's the way it is with the sluggard, the slothful chap.
He THINKS every step he takes is going to bring him great pain. He imagines
thousands of difficulties in the way, which cannot be surmounted. Therefore
he constructs excuses and ends up doing nothing about anything! He stands
victimized behind that imaginary hedge of thorns, for it serves to provide
him with all manner of justification for not dealing responsibly with
the realities of life....
"I can't read my Bible every morning because I'm a night owl."
"I couldn't home school because I'm not patient enough yet."
"I can't quit smoking, I've been doing it so long now!"
"I can't speak in front of people or pass out a tract because I'm not
expressive with my words."
"I can't stay home with my kids because I see no way we could afford it,
and besides, my husband is bad with money."
"I can't keep things organized because I wasn't raised that way."
"I can't go to that church, the preacher is too loud and too long!"
"I can't discipline my children because I was abused."
"I can't stay with my husband because he doesn't show any promise of
changing."
"I can't go to the mission field, my family wouldn't understand."
"I can't wear dresses, they just don't flatter my figure, and besides,
my legs are too short."
"I just can't lose weight, my metabolism is slower than others and I've
no time at all to exercise."
"I can't keep the house clean because the kids are so young right now
and they make it difficult."
"I can't fix nice dinners, nobody taught me when I was younger how to
cook."
"We can't tithe on such a meager salary."
"I can't, I can't, and I can't..." The truth is, "I WON'T!" Have you begun
to notice something about this slothful person, ladies? His heart is missing
from his work!
Eccles. 2:17
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun
is grievous unto me…
Without working from the heart, slothful people convince themselves that
there is nothing but hardship and grief ahead of them all the time. They
are led to hate life itself and doubt ever being successful. Hence, excuses
are born… Working from the heart brings diligence into the picture and
a determination to see a thing through! All excuses dissolve away, purpose
is realized and a love for life is born. A victim mentality is a sure
sign of defeat!
How about you, dear lady? Are you a victim of your circumstances? A victim
of the people you've come in contact with? If so, I bet you are often
times defeated and talking about why a thing can't be done! No doubt about
it, a slothful man certainly wants to experience the good life, but unfortunately
he is not willing to put forth the effort necessary to get the results.
He is a quitter who lives behind a hedge of thorns that nobody sees but
him...
Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the
diligent shall be made fat.
While a lazy sheep thinks even his wool too heavy, a righteous man however,
having been informed of his duty, faithfully presses toward the mark,
toward the fulfillment of his goals. Such obedience lights up the pathway
he is to take, and makes it clear to him how to arrive at the destination
of his God directed goals. Because his way is plain to see, the diligent
individual doesn't waste a moment of his time talking about why a task
can't be done, but his life speaks as a testimony of how ALL things can
be done! Just like Jesus...
John 17:4
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou
gavest me to do.
Work completed glorifies God. Ladies, have you finished any of the work
you've been given to do?? Would God say you have done your part? Ladies,
the Lord would give us further work but how many of us can't take it on
because of what is still incomplete?? Maybe there are some loose ends
in your life that you ought to energetically and thoroughly tie up once
and for all. Perhaps you've been making excuses long enough as to why
you are the way you are - or aren't! You can't get to the top by sitting
on your bottom, amen? It costs Satan little trouble to catch the lazy
man... Don't let the devil keep supplying you with excuses as to why you
can't live right or improve in a particular area - listen to the Word
of God instead! It is full of promises of the Lord's help! In case you're
worried about it, the Bible says the work won't kill you - it will strengthen
you…
Phillipians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Now, you tell me what exceptions there are to that verse!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
