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Precious Is the Substance of a Diligent Man

Proverbs 12:27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

A slothful man hunts and even makes a kill but considers it too much work to prepare and roast that which he killed. He would rather see the meat go to waste than to put forth the effort necessary to preserve the food. However, a diligent man considers his substance to be precious. He has no desire to see something go to waste. Interestingly enough, the Lord Jesus made a point along these lines at the feeding of the five thousand. After He fed the multitude, the Lord Jesus told the disciples to “Gather up the fragments that remain[ed], that nothing be lost” (John 6:12). It was important to the Lord that His followers made full use of the substance given to them of the Father. Nothing was to go to waste. A diligent man considers every part to be precious, even those things the world would allow to spoil.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

(For children): Jesus fed another large group of people (4,000) and once again the leftovers were taken up (Mark 8:8). The Lord does not approve of wasting food. When getting your food, only take as much as you can eat. When mom serves leftovers on another night, don't complain. You should be willing to thank God for the food He has provided, even if only leftovers.

(For everyone): How much food do you waste? How much money do you spend with no real benefit? How important is it to you to wisely use everything that God gives you?

(For everyone): Why do we waste? Why have we lost the appreciation for “the fragments that remain”? What are some ways we can better use what God provides?

PRAYER THOUGHTS

Ask God to help you to be diligent.

Ask the Lord for a distaste for being wasteful.

SONG

Thanks to God

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