Sovereignty and Sluggards

If there is one thing the book of Proverbs affirms, it is the sovereignty of God. To the writer of Proverbs, likely Solomon, God is the ruler of all things in this life. Only a few examples are needed to show this.

• Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (3:5)
• The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. (10:3)
• The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. (16:1)
• Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. (16:3-4)
• The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. (16:33)
• Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (19:21)
• The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. (21:1)
• The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. (21:31)

But, perhaps as important to the book of Proverbs, is diligence. The sluggard and the lazy are constantly condemned.

• How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? (6:9)
• The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (13:4)
• The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. (20:4)
• The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” (22:13)
• As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. (26:14)
• 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. (24:33-34)

But when considered, isn't the sluggard justified in being a sluggard, since God is sovereign? If God works in all things to bring about his good purpose and plan, then why does anyone need to work? What is the point of planting and sowing; why not just sleep in? The answer is what raises the question, which is, God is sovereign. Since God is sovereign a person should rise early and work. Since God has determined the outcome of all things, we should be busy. Solomon had no problem affirming both of these truths, and neither should we. The higher your view of sovereignty, the busier you should be! So wake up sluggard! Get to work!