Scripture: Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread Proverbs 20:13
Observation: This proverb speaks of two habits, one we must not follow and one that we should. Firstly, we are asked not to love sleep. The consequence of this is poverty. Secondly, we are asked to open our eyes. The reward is that we will be satisfied with bread i.e our needs will be satisfied.
Literally, there are some of us who like to sleep a lot, and the bed is our greatest pleasure. There is nothing wrong with sleeping well. Peaceful sleep is a blessing from the Lord and helps us recover our strength. However, the sleep mentioned here is aimed at those who doze off out of laziness, who fall asleep out of boredom because they will not take the effort to do something of value. Proverbs 6:10-11 says:-Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. In contrast, the writer before that exhorts us to consider the ant, and its hardworking ways. The ant is always on the look out for food to take home. When we are called to open our eyes, it is to look out for something worthy to do that will be of value to others and to ourselves.
There is a second meaning to “sleep”. Sleep is also mentioned of those who are ignorant of the things that go on around them. Jesus spoke in the parable of the virgins of those who fell asleep and were not ready when the bridegroom came. The Israelites of old were said to be asleep in their sinful ways, not recognizing how far they had fallen from God’s grace. There are many of us who choose to “sleep” or close our eyes to the problems that are around us. Imagine a man who continues to go to work in his own little cubicle, day after day, not realizing that the company has closed down, and everyone else has left. He is in a sense asleep to the reality around him.
“Opening our eyes” can also mean being conscious of the realities around us and being ready for change when it occurs. It means adopting an attitude of continual learning so that we know what’s going on and be equipped when we need to act. Spiritually, “opening our eyes” also means keeping a close relationship with the Lord, constantly seeking opportunities to see where we can serve Him. One of the great principles emphasized in the “Experiencing God” series is that we should constantly look to see where God is working and join him there. By opening our eyes, we aim to be like the men of Isaachar, “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do”.
Application: Open our eyes and always look actively to see where we may add value by serving God or others.
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes that I may see. Show me where You are and help me serve You by serving others.
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