Prepare
Opening Prayer
Thank God for the day and his Word, and ask him to teach, watch over, and care for his people so they live by his Word.
Read
Scripture Passage
23 These things also belong to the wise:
It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.
25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27 Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
For would you deceive with your lips?
29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
30 I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Pr 24:23-34
A — About
What Is This Passage About?
Wisdom judges impartially, speaks right answers, orders work before enjoyment, tells the truth about neighbors, and refuses revenge. The neglected field exposes how small habits of laziness and digital distraction consume productive time and leave both practical responsibilities and the field of the soul overgrown.
B — Best Verse
A Verse That Summarizes the Passage
Proverbs 24:34
Distilled from the devotional exposition; the speaker did not explicitly name a best verse.
So shall poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man
Bryan does not offer an explicit Best Verse selection. Verse 34 completes the field illustration and summarizes his warning that repeated small delays and distractions eventually bring sudden practical and spiritual loss.
C — Called or Christ
C — Christ Connection
Work diligently, plan necessary responsibilities before leisure, speak truth, refuse revenge, and limit distractions that choke the soul. Do every task for God's glory while resting in the joy and comfort of Jesus Christ rather than in idleness.
Devotional Study
Transcript of the devotion. Minor transcription errors may remain.
anything's going in okay well good morning good morning welcome to coffee and devotions this is where every day we get together we get into God's word and we grow in our love for the Lord together and this year 2021 we'll make it through all the wisdom literature well this morning we're at Proverbs chapter 24 verses 23 through uh 34 let's have some coffee we'll pray we'll get into God's word let's pray father we thank you so much for this day and we thank you for your word we pray that as we read it that we would live by him We pray that you would be our teacher and that you would watch over us and care for us in Jesus' name. Proverbs chapter 23, or 24, sorry.
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to show partiality to judgment. He who says to the wicked, you are righteous, him people will curse. nations will abhor him. But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them."
We talked about this yesterday. I went a little bit too far yesterday with the reading. But this is, what is this saying? This is saying that God is, that people are going to bless those who are good judges, who uphold righteousness and justice and truth. And thank the Lord that we have a true judge who always judges with righteousness and truth.
Verse 26 and 27. He who gives a right answer kisses the lips. What an amazing picture. He who gives answers kisses the lips. This means that there's no impurity in them. There's nothing that's wrong in them, but this is someone who is pure and right and lovely, the person who gives the right answer.
Verse 27, prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field, and afterward build your house. Man, this is so true. Go and work hard. Go and work out in the field. Go and labor outside your home, and then prepare your home inside. What is this talking about here? Go and do sustaining work first, and then enjoy the things inside your house. Go enjoy the productive work you need to do, and then come home and enjoy your home. Get a job, then get married. That's what I have in my comments here.
Get a job and then go get married, or do things in a wise, order save up for retirement and then retire plan things ahead of time and then do them verse 28 and 29 do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause for would you deceive with your lips do not say i will do to him just as he has done to me i will render the man according to his work what is this saying here Keep the ninth commandment, right?
You shall bear no false testimony against your neighbor. But we need to be those who are slow to go to court. This is why in the New Testament, it's going to tell us that we shouldn't quickly bring our neighbor and go sue them, bringing them before the civil magistrate. But no, we should be slow to do that. But instead, we should be quick to love them. Don't repay evil for evil. Verse 30 through 34.
I went by the field of a lazy man and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding. And there it was, all overgrown with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles. Its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well. I looked on it and received instruction. A little sleep. little slumber a little folding of the hands to rest so shall poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man so the man is walking along in the neighborhood and he walks by his neighbor's field and there the wall is falling apart there's weeds growing all throughout his field there's a Just looks in disarray. There's nettles mixed in. And what does he deduce from this? A little sleep, a little slumber, a folding of the hands, and then destruction comes.
I think in our day and age, this is a really, really difficult passage. Let me say, a little Facebook, a little YouTube, a little of ignoring of your work, and all of a sudden, all your productive time in the day is gone. A little bit of the forum, a little bit of TikTok, a little bit of searching on the news, and before you know it, you've ignored everything that actually needs done for the day. We live in a day and age filled with distractions, and this is just a common sense advice. Don't be lazy. Work hard. Prepare beforehand. This might not sound like godly advice, but this is advice that the Spirit has given to us to tell us, make the most of every opportunity you have.
If you need to walk the rows of your field and you need to pull up some rogue corn out of the beans, you need to do it. If there's your budget that you just don't really want to do your budget, but you know that your finances are going to be in ruin if you don't do it, go do it. This is why the other day I told you I have to have screen time set on my phone and on my computer because this proverb is true and it's a temptation for me too.
If I spend all day working or even just browsing on Facebook, The sermon's still going to need done. Counseling's still going to need done. Greek is still going to need studied. Hebrew's still going to need studied. The exegesis is still going to need to happen. My children are still going to need me. The trash still needs taken out. But instead, a little sleep, a little slumber, one more TV show, one more episode on Netflix, a little more time on TikTok, and disaster comes. It's too late.
I hope that that's not true for your own soul. Do you do that for yourself when it comes to the things for the Lord? How often do we get distracted with Facebook and YouTube and Snapchat, TikTok, Fox News, CNN, I don't know, take your pill, choose your distraction, and you put off working in the field of your heart, pulling the weeds in your own soul. That you might not, the hope of the gospel might not be choked out by the deceitfulness of wealth and the cares of this life, the entertainment that always surrounds us. I hope that today you take rest and comfort in Jesus Christ.
Let's pray. Father, we pray that we would be diligent with the hours you've given us. There are few. Lord, we pray that whatever we find our hands to do, we would do it with all of our might for your glory. Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, God, we pray that we would do it for your glory. Lord, we pray that you would watch over us this day. Please let us be busy about working in your vineyard. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, may you rest in the joy and comfort of Jesus Christ as you take dominion over this earth, as you work for his glory, and as you enjoy all the good gifts he's given you this day. I'll see you tomorrow, bye.