Sleeping Disorder

For Friday, May 27, 2005
Proverbs 10:5

He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

It is prudent to think ahead and "gather" while one can in preparation for the future. One of my more prudent decisions in college was to get the reading list for my fall course on American novels. I am a slow reader, and I knew I didn't stand a chance trying to read a novel every week for the class. By reading half the books, I was able to keep up the work load in the fall. In contrast to the prudent son is the lazy son who not only fails to prepare for the fall harvest, but sleeps when the harvesting time comes. Undoubtedly he had rational excuses for his failure. Perhaps he had been busy during the summer and needed to catch up on his rest. The time seemed to fly by before he could be ready. The lazy person is lazy because...well, he is lazy. And his laziness brings shame, not merely upon himself, but his family who were depending on his help. But then, the lazy person fails to take into account how his behavior affects those around him.

Spiritually, let's take Jesus' admonition to be ready when the final harvest comes. Let us be gathering now, serving his kingdom faithfully and zealously, and not be found sleeping when the Lord returns for the harvest. How many will not be ready simply because they were too lazy to heed the gospel message?