Topic: A little Sleep?
Text: Proverbs 24: 33- 34
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — 34 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. Amen
The wise king had an advice for posterity. He said, “I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
“I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” (Proverbs 24: 30- 34)
Sleep is very nice. It is a naturally recurring state of mind and body characterised by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles, and reduced interactions with surroundings.
Almost everyone enjoys the rest in sleep they can have, but only to revitalise and get back to being active. Those who choose a little more of it and a little more slumber wake up to see scarcity standing like an armed warrior, ready to enslave them with poverty for a long time.
This is because man was also made to work. And each work has its own obstacles that require a little more effort to overcome. Yet again, every work has its own peak and lean seasons with unanticipated twists and turns. Those who desire a better reward from work at the end of the day, are therefore required to go the extra mile; surmounting all the above pressures and still producing the expected results with a touch of excellence.
It is either this way, or the other; where a person enjoys a little more sleep, a little more slumber and a little more folding of arms till poverty comes like a thief and steals his sustenance, joy and even hope away.
Arise; refuse to be like the sluggard. Refuse to be like the farmer who has no sense. Don’t watch unconcerned as the ground gets covered with weeds, and thorns come up everywhere on your field. Those two respectively represent the many unnecessary obstructions that compete with the actual work for pre-eminence, and the many problems that will with time become poisonous and “pinching” because they were left unsolved.
Meditate on this and begin to pray. Shake off all the laziness and arise unto hard work. Ask for grace to strive for good in all that you do. Also, that God will bless the works of your hands.
By this prayer, and with a change in your attitude towards life, break the circle of poverty and scarcity in your family. Be super determined not to miss out on any of God’s blessings just because you were sleeping.
And always remember that sleep is good, but only after and in between hard work. It must never replace work in your life: A good advice from the wise king Solomon.
