Ruling

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
RULING
Prov 12:24
24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor.
NIV
It does not appear to be too difficult to understand that I need to work. I know that is it true about the fact of no free lunch. I believe I have always made an effort to be diligent about my responsibility to provide the best I could for my family. I suppose I should rephrase that in that I believe I have always worked where and done what the Lord has lead me to do and thus provided for my family as he provided for me to do so. But I see more here in a greater sense of spiritual matters. If I apply myself to laboring for God, If I am diligent in serving his kingdom I will be an active part of his ministry. Because I am diligent with my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I am a free man, in that sense I rule. If however I was lazy about my faith, lazy about finding out what pleases the Lord, lazy about knowing him, trusting him and committing my life to him, I would end up in the bonds of slave labor to the devil. God says that I will rule and reign with Christ during the one thousand year period described in the revelation to John. Satan on the other hand will enslave his followers and he will be the only ruler in his realm, well at least until he and his are cast into the lake of burning sulfur. This end I have no worries about as I have decided not to be enslaved but to be set free. My hands are diligent being about my Fathers business. I cannot be lazy about spreading his truth. Yes, it is true I must also work with my hands at the task God has provided for me here on this earth for the continued benefit of my family. Yes, I must diligent about my work, I must not sit back and expect provisions from others. I cannot expect anything but slavery as a result of dependence upon others for the needs of life. But there is no slavery associated with dependence on God for need of eternal life. I chose to work both in the realm of this world as well in the realm of the Kingdom of God and I am and will be a free man and someday I will rule and reign with Christ.