‘The thought of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want’ Proverbs 21:5

If you want to be successful in life, you need to be clear of what you are up to. Many people are in too much of a hurry to become rich or to succeed, but do not have a clear goal. Clarity is very vital in leadership, in communication, in business, in relationship and in life generally.

On the one hand, it is good to work diligently, but hard work without first diligently thinking through leads to frustration.  There is a popular phrase; ‘Quo Vadis’, ‘where are you going’? Is your vision clear, do you have clarity of purpose about the subject in hand? If you know where you are going, you will be focused on what you need to do, while you avoid irrelevancies.

Anyone that is hasty in thoughts will tend only to lack! Once you have been able to identify your goals, you must engage in focused thinking to arrive at clarity of thought. Even when you need to multi-task, ensure you think through on one task at a time; this helps to ensure your perception is very precise. Start this day with clarity of purpose and goals and you will surely return with singing. Have a glorious day.

‘O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hart though made them all; the earth is full of thy riches’. Psalm 104:24

I like the Contemporary English Version of this scripture; ‘Our Lord, by your wisdom you made so many things …’ God wants to give you a portion of the wisdom by which He has made all things. As you spend time with Him daily, reach out for the divine wisdom from God on all life’s issues. Reach Out for it. Make the most of your time in God’s presence. God actually instructs us to make a demand on Him for this! Look at Contemporary English version of James 1:5; ‘If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking’. This is a special invitation with and an open cheque to ask for as much and however varied wisdom we need. God is waiting on you to ask, He wants to help you through everything in life.

Ps 104:24 concludes by saying, ‘… the earth is full of your riches’. When you access divine wisdom, you will access a portion of the riches that fills the earth. This is the truth. Eccl 5:9 says; ‘… the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field’. You have equal right to earth’s riches.

You will access the riches that the earth offers if you will daily invest time to access wisdom from the maker of heaven and the earth. Deliberately spend some time today and REACH OUT for heavens wisdom as you meditatively think-through.  

 ‘An idea well expressed is like a design of Gold set in Silver’ Proverbs 25:11 GNB

‘A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver’ Proverbs 25:11

For you to get to the point where your ideas are well coordinated, you must have thought about them over and over again. The business idea that God gives you must not be rushed into the market place; you need to think through them until you arrive at a way of expression; so fitting that it is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Analyse the ideas well enough until you can present it with an advantage. Don’t waste your God given ideas because you rushed out from your thinking closet too early; invest adequate time to think. You might need to do some indebt facts finding around the matter. Carry out some SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) analysis and this will guide you on how to approach the implementation of those divine ideas.

Pr. 20:18 says ‘every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war’. Remember, you have access to divine insight that the world does not have! So, in these uncertain times, you can still take steps with certainty and fly with clarity. You will know when, how, and where to launch your ideas. Plus, you will receive strategic ideas on who should be present at your first presentation! The message version of Pr. 25:11 says ‘The right word at the right time is like a custom made piece of jewellery’.

‘…It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter. The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable’ Proverbs 25:1-3

Verse 1 indicated that these are some of the proverbs of Solomon copied out by the men of King Hezekiah of Judah. Every leader needs to give attention to them. 1Kings 4:34 says ‘And there came of all people to hear the Wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom’. Leaders are keen to spend adequate time to search out the mind of God on various matters. It is the honour of kings to search out a matter.

Think through as you meditate on God’s word to search out secrete things of God on each subject. Ps 119:18 says there are wondrous things in the word of God. Be a king as you develop the habit of thinking through in your closet, to search out God’s mind on different issues before you act. The saying goes ‘great leaders are great thinkers’.

Consider the message version of verse 3. ‘Like the horizon for breath and the oceans for depth the understanding of a leader is broad and deep’. For you to be successful in leadership and in business, you need to invest time before God in thinking through. You will receive light concerning dark difficult things; and when you come out from your thinking corner, you will act appropriately. Then you will not have any reason to worry!

Other Scriptures: Ps 92:5;

 ‘A person’s thoughts are like water in deep well but someone with insight can draw them out’ Proverbs 20:5 GNB

Diligence at work is more than working harder, it involves working smarter. Diligently thinking through on different issues will lead to smart working. It takes someone with insight to draw out counsel from great depths to the surface. Consider ‘water in a deep well’ – it is not contaminated but pure; however it takes time to get to it.

Take your time and reach to attain counsel through your regenerated mind; do not rush, always allow adequate time to think through. There is treasure in your regenerated mind!

It takes deep thoughts to search out the mind of God on issues of life (be it marriage, carrier or ministry). When you successfully think through, light will come to you and you will be able to take your next flight. Then gentiles will come to your light and kings to your rising (Isaiah 60:1-3).

‘Through desire a man, having separated himself seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom’ Proverbs 18:1

Your success in life is not determined by how much labour you exert on your activities; but it is first determined by the amount of time you spend with God on a regular basis. You need to separate yourself from time to time, and seek the God of all wisdom. The scripture says ‘you will intermingle with all wisdom’. Notice that it takes personal desire; you have to purposely set that appointment with God and keep it.

This exercise goes beyond the short time you spend to have your required daily ‘quiet time’ of devotion. This is the time you think through and weigh all life questions with the principles of God’s word. It is the time set aside for prayerful meditative thinking with your regenerated mind! You ask God questions and you listen for His answers.

Daniel and his team were confronted with death because King Nebuchadnezzar had a frightening dream he could not remember (Daniel chapter 2). Daniel went in and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation (v16). The secret which astrologers, magicians and soothsayers could not access was revealed to Daniel.  You will receive answers to all life threatening questions as you spend time with ‘the God in heaven that revealeth secrets’ (v28). You will obtain all the wisdom you need for a fruitful, meaningful and peaceful life, as you invest time with the God of all wisdom. Forever may the Lord bless you, in Jesus name, amen.

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want….’ The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour’. Proverbs 21: 5, 25

 The desire of the slothful kills him because his hands refuse to labor! You might have two people, both with desires and good ideas, very genuine proposals; the two of them might end up at different points. Imagine that one of them invests time to diligently implement his/her ideas or thoughts while the other does not.

The Bible says the result for the one that implements the ideas will only be plenteousness! As long as you put efforts into your thoughts, desire and ideas, you are destined for the path of plenteous increase, and prosperity. To the one that refuses to labour at the desires and ideas, it is that desire that will kill him because the resulting frustration will lead him to do evil things – he will worry, stress and at the end will not prosper!

I like the Good News Version: “⁵If you plan and work hard, you will have plenty; if you hurry to get rich, you will end up poor. ²⁵If you want too much and are too lazy to work, it could be fatal.” You might have grandeur plans; but if you are too lazy to back it up with hard work, you will end up poor; and that could be fatal! Get your ideas; work at them, and you will prosper, in Jesus name.

 ‘The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing’ Proverbs  20:4

When it is cold, it is naturally understandable for a farmer to keep indoors; however the Bible says here that anybody who does not plough because of the cold is a lazy person. I think what God is saying is ‘don’t give excuses for your laziness based on even obvious reasons’.

When you are someone that always finds excuses to give for your inability to accomplish a task, it may look legitimate, but a day will come when your boss will be willing to be understanding with you no more.

You have to make up your mind, no matter what the weather or the situation is like, that you will brace up and do what is expected of you. Determine that in-spite of the obstacles, you will forge ahead. The working environment might not be friendly or conducive; do not look for excuses, but be determined that despite the challenges, you will arise and achieve what is expected of you. As you do this, you will prosper in all your life’s pursuits.

 ‘A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men’. Proverbs 18:16 NKJV

Make the most of the opportunity coming your way today; it will lead you to your promotion. Determine that you will work hard on your gifts. It is when your gifting is tapped to the maximum that you will experience elevation and publicity where it matters.

You might have gifts, but when the opportunity comes for you to exercise your gifting and you are lazy, it is a disadvantage. So, be on the watch, seize your opportunity when presents itself.

It is when people observe how good you are at what you do that the promotion will come. It is when they see your consistent hard work that the opportunity for consideration for promotion will come. Lifting does not drop on someone’s laps without them going out there and doing something.

It is from the observation of the little you currently do, that the potential of your greatness will be seen; then you will continue to grow. ‘He who is faithful in little, is already judged faithful in much’! (Luke 16:10) This is the wisdom today; make the most of the opportunity in front of you today, it will lead to your greater tomorrow. May God bless you and grant you great success as you face your day, in Jesus name, amen.