“A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!”
I’ve been guilty in the past of eating so much at special meals that I can hardly get one more forkful in my mouth. How crazy is that. Yep, gluttony is a very unattractive sin. This verse depicts the ultimate of that experience. In the culture of the time this person cannot dip the spoon in the common plate of food in the center of the table and retrieve a serving for themselves. It was the epitome of a lazy, gluttonous person. It is an exaggeration to make a point. An Arabic proverb says, “He dies of hunger under the date tree.” In other words all we need for a satisfied life is right with us. The lazy and undisciplined person loses many opportunities that life affords the diligent and self controlled. When a person lets an area of their life go unconstrained they will soon find themselves unable to achieve the full function they were designed for. Letting one’s self go physically is an easy place to see this principle play out. However, an undisciplined family life or marriage or an undisciplined thought life all bring with it the lost ability to flourish as God intends. Certainly not practicing the spiritual disciplines of being in God’s word, hanging with fellow believers, and prayer leave us unable to live at the level of intimacy with God and service we are created for. Today disciple all areas of your story. #BeTheEdge
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
