Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4
God gave us hands to work for Him. Our verse today says it well, "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth." Not hands for selfish gain like the man who built bigger barns, but hands for faithful stewardship of God's resources.
How easy for us to sit back and watch television, extend coffee breaks, and work halfheartedly. How prone we are to fill pews but never to do anything as a result. James questions such inactivity: "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22). Busy hands are needed in work and to help those in need.
Because Jesus Christ's hands were pierced for us and our hands were made clean by His shed blood, we offer Him our hands for His tasks. With praying hands we seek His will and His strength. From His open hands we receive both the opportunities and the ability to be busy. At home with dishes and laundry; at work with wrench, computer, and assembly line; in our community with food basket, paintbrush, and snow shovel, we lend our busy hands to the ongoing opportunities for service.
PRAYER: Lord, forgive us for idleness. By Your death on the cross, empower us with busy hands in Your service. Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 27-28 Matthew 18:21-35
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