The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Proverbs 13:4
I was reading proverbs today and this scripture spoke to me, specifically (The Soul). As I pondered this scripture, this is what I see.
The soul of the sluggard desires. This speaks to our soul. Our soul is the seat of our emotions, desires and will. It is the immortal part of a person, our inner being.
First we must define sluggard: A sluggard is a person who is slow, lazy, and they lack discipline and motivation. This person has a desire; they want to have a close relationship with God. They desire in their heart to have a close relationship with him, however because the person lacks discipline and motivation this close relationship with God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is lacking. This soul is hungry for more of God, they are hungry for more of his spirit but because they are a sluggard they are unwilling to put any effort into establishing a closer relationship, which requires spending time in prayer. Not just a few words here and there or a few minutes, but actually taking some time to pray and worship God. It requires fasting and studying God’s word, learning what his desires are and what he requires. Many worship God with their mouth but their heart is far from him.
The Bible says in Matthew 5:6 that they that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. David said in Psalms 42:1 “As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God.”
So we can see a person who is spiritually lazy, lacks discipline and motivation will have nothing. This person’s soul will be dry like a desert, always desiring but never attaining (because it takes discipline). It takes discipline or self-control to turn off the TV, to push the plate away, to say no to your friends, etc., but it can be done with the help of the Holy Spirit.
The exact opposite is true of the diligent. The diligent is someone who is constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything. The diligent person has a close relationship with God because this person puts effort into the relationship; they are attentive to God and persistent in their pursuit of him. So in the natural, so in the spirit. In the natural we must put forth effort and work to have good relationships. The same is true with God. The soul of the diligent is full because they study the word, spend time in prayer seeking God and they fast. Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4.
This person experiences the joy of the Lord; they are full of the Holy Spirit with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Galatians 5:22-23. This person knows God is with them and rejoice and take pleasure in their relationship with God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Their soul has been made fat.
Nadine Richmond
