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idler’s field

Proverbs 24:23-34 (JDV).

Proverbs 24:23 These sayings also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
Proverbs 24:24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent” — peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
Proverbs 24:25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a generous blessing will come to them.
Proverbs 24:26 He who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.
Proverbs 24:27 Complete your outdoor work, and prepare your field; afterward, build your house.
Proverbs 24:28 Don’t testify against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.
Proverbs 24:29 Don’t say, “I’ll do to him what he did to me; I’ll repay the man for what he has done.”
Proverbs 24:30 I went by the field of an idler and by the vineyard of one lacking sense.
Proverbs 24:31 Thistles had come up everywhere, weeds covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
Proverbs 24:32 I saw, and took it to heart; I looked, and received instruction:
Proverbs 24:33 a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest,
Proverbs 24:34 and your poverty will come like a robber, and your need, like a mugger.

Idler’s field

A trip to the idler’s field showed how destructive laziness can be. Those pesky weeds and thorns had destroyed the crops. The wall of protection was broken down, so it protected nothing. A life was ruined because of a lack of diligence. Forget building your house; focus on your field. Invest first, then you will have something to enjoy in that house.

Laziness comes in many forms. The worst kind of laziness is spiritual sloth. It destroys the field while people focus on worldly pursuits. A life lived as a spiritual idler produces a fruitless field.