“Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the Amplified translation, a diligent man is likened to someone who recognizes opportunities and seizes them. The man who makes use of everything they find.

As a child of God who has the Spirit of God, your first thought towards any opportunity is directed towards the positive. Not the other way round. People usually are skeptical about so many things. Every time. “What if it’s not for me?” “What if it’s not the will of God?” “What if it’s the plan of the devil?”

Well, how about you channel all these questions positively, considering that we are not just living here on earth. We have a manual we live by. One that also contains promises for us. The Bible. “Is this the will of God?” “Could this all be your plan Lord?” Then I should speak to God about it.

If a person went to build a house, they’d most likely be with tools that would help them build. The gifts and talents God has given to you are usually pointers to what he wants you to do or become. Make use of them. If you go about doing nothing with what you have, the little you have; you pass for one who is lazy.

It’s a privilege to have something, no matter how little. Make use of it.

“A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Research in cognitive psychology shows that the human mind wanders for 30–50% of waking hours. These moments often referred to as daydreaming or fantasy last for a few seconds. These thoughts come out from so many things; what you see, watch, hear or what has previously happened. Now, imagine a person staying on each of those thoughts and untiring everyone of them. That’s insanity brewing. Not everything that comes to your mind should be given attention. In fact, attention would reinforce repetition of those thoughts.

The Bible tells us what to think on; things that are honest, true, pure, lovely, of good report, things with virtue and praise ( Philippians 4:8). A lot of things contend for your attention as you go through the day. It’s expedient that you focus on what’s important. Importance is determined by the prescription given to us in Philippians 4:8 mentioned above. Please also note, that some of the thoughts are informations and instructions from God, or God speaking to us about something. Not all of them are random thoughts or those from the devil. As we study and read the word of God, we’d get familiar with the voice of God through his word.

If you find yourself thinking constantly about something that only makes YOU feel better, is not realistic enough, or focuses constantly on your needs, desires or makes you the centre, something is definitely wrong with the thoughts. Renew your mind, the Bible admonishes.

“Good people have kind thoughts, but you should never trust the advice of someone evil.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Jeremiah 17:9 points every human to a critical fact, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”

‭That means that the heart in its normal state, is devising evil or abhorring darkness/deceit in one way or another. If you left your heart without working on it, it would breed quite some really serious wickedness.

Why is this important? Well, men would always really be lovers of themselves. David took another man’s wife and ended up murdering the man, he “loved” himself. So much so that he accommodated the evil that brewed in his heart for Bathsheba and then towards Uriah.

Usually, you may not intend to go about being jealous of people, but you may just hear some good news about someone and it plunges you into serious thoughts about your own life. That’s envy in a slight form, you didn’t need to tell the heart to feel that way, but it did. You probably didn’t think you would ever show or be envious towards someone else but, there, it is. If you don’t take time to work on the kind of thoughts you think towards others, your heart may just be a working place for the devil.

Be very aware of the thoughts you have towards other people. What do you feel about their successes? What do you feel about their achievements? Do you honestly wish people well? Do you pray for them to get what they need and invest in that? Are you always comparing yourself to others? These are important questions. Answer them sincerely, then take time to pray openly to God about your heart state.

“To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Billy Graham once remarked that, “Endurance and self-discipline are the marks of a faithful servant of God.” How else can a person grow, if they don’t learn. Learning could be from reading, experiences, training — whichever way, a practical activity is involved, if not, status quo is maintained.

A key component of being a life long learner is faithfulness. One of the cardinal signs of a faithful person is commitment. Commitment involves decision, effort, time. Investing decision, effort, time and resources in something, in this case, learning, would demand discipline. This is why the Bible says “to learn, you must love discipline”. It’s discipline you have to love because it takes a whole lot and talking about learning is easier than actually, learning.

If you are going to change your habits, read your Bible everyday and pray, learn a new language or something, anything — discipline has to be involved. Discipline here is not just the ability to follow through with decisions, but the state of heart that gives room for correction and progress through challenges sometimes. If you don’t get up your sleeves, and maintain a heart that wants to listen, hear, make changes; you may not be able to learn.

Prayer:

I receive the grace to maintain the right position of heart, that learns Lord, in Jesus’ name.

“Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The widow of Zarephath was considering death after eating the handful of meal with the oil in the cruise. It was even more than a consideration because she said “I am gathering two sticks that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die”. She gave this response after Elijah had asked her for some bread. Her answer would make anyone know that she was saying, she didn’t have; she was poor and it was bad. Elijah gave a shocking reaction to this, “And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son” (1 Kings 17:13).

Elijah simply said; give first, give quickly, give now. How can a woman who is saying she has one last meal and then death be asked to give. This story shines convergent light on the sacrifice that giving is. Giving is usually not convenient. The more you give however, the easier to give more. Giving doesn’t just physically affect you, it does so mentally. When the widow of Zarepheth gave that part first, it did something to her heart before she saw the physical manifestation. This was what empowered her to love by the word of the Lord that came by his prophet, “For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth” (1 Kings 17:14).

Train your heart to release as things come to you. Train your heart to share. To accommodate. To be genuine in dispensing love, resources and time. Give without thinking too much about it.

“Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Based on what the Bible in saying in this verse; the determinant of the prosperity of a city is her “upright citizens”. In other words, if a city is not in prosperity, her citizens are not upright. Yeah? Yes. There power in leadership, but there’s also power with the people. Once there were people ready to take challenges up and make things work, changes begin to happen.

The children of Israel built the wall of Jerusalem with a king who didn’t know the Lord in leadership. A king who was not Jew. The Bible says “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). If my people, not the leaders, not the government. The people…the citizens. Then he’ll heal the land.

There are cases where there’s call for leaders to repent and pray. But when it comes to the land, a place, the people living there have a lot of influence on what goes on there. It is possible for a people to be saved if they do what is needed, even if their leaders are evil. The children of Israel were under oppression during Athaliah’s time, but some people in the city (the priest and others), decided to breakthrough that oppression by installing the actual king. It took a lot of boldness to do that. A lot of love for the city and the people from the people. When the way of a man pleases God, he makes even his enemies at peace with him. He can turn the heart of anyone to submit to his will when a people follow the right way.

“With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Not many people know that friendship is a sacred relationship. Have you not read about Jonathan and David, Jon and his friends, Jesus and Lazarus. The Bible said that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. That’s literally what the Jesus later said when he came on earth. That’s the desire of the father.

Jesus also showed what it means to be a friend. To go all out, all the way, out of one’s way. This is intense love. So much so he cried, wailed that people around knew and said — ”see how much he loved himself” (John 11:36).It’s so amazing what manner of friendship that is.

That’s how to go about friendship, friends. Without reserve, without fears. Giving all out what you’d want to receive. And honestly, you’d receive. Someone’s saying; even if the person latter betrayed me? Yes. You sowed a seed and you must reap it. Never be the one sowing bad seeds and never be caught repaying evil for evil or treating people s they treat you. It’s lowlife and standard, or no standard at all.

One major problem Jon’s friends had was they didn’t show compassion. Maybe perhaps they put themselves in Job’s shoes because how can you tell a man that just lost all 7 hundred, that they sinned and deserved the punishment of death. As though, they never sinned themselves. Friend, get serious with watering your relationships, your friends. Pour into them. Love them as you love yourself. Treat them the way Jesus does. You’ll

Never regret it. Be more than a friend.