Proverbs 6:10-11

The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them. 

Proverbs 6:10-11 (ESV)

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.

I feel like I am always sleepy. I try to go to bed early and get a good nights sleep but, yet, when I awake in the morning I almost always quote in my head the above proverb.    At least I quote verse ten.   My conscience, however, always says, "I think your forgetting the next verse ... verse eleven."  These two verses can't really be handled separately.  Solomon is not warning us about waking up tired, actually.  He is warning us about waking up "lazy." Proverbs has a lot to say about "laziness" (often referred to as "slothfulness").  In this verse he is mocking those who say, "I think I'm just going to take a little nap" when, in reality, they ought to be planting fields, or securing their safety.  Yet, because they decided to lay instead of labor they won't have something to eat in times of harvest, or won't be ready when the robber comes to thieve.   Laziness is a sin in God's book.  We don't think of it that way, but God does.  Those, today, who refuse to work and just want to lay around may get around our government assistance checks and balances, but they won't slip by God's notice.   God rewards hard work and integrity.   God disciplines laziness and slack.   Lay on the couch and you won't have sustenance and/or protection.   You will eventually be in want and jeopardy.