A Glad Father

Proverbs 10:1 A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death.
3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
4 A slack hand causes poverty,
but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

I can speak from experience that when God gives you a wise son, or sons, there is much to rejoice and be thankful for. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom", Prov.1:7 I can take no credit for how well my kids are turning out, but in spite of my weak parenting skills and lack of time spent with them, they are 3 great kids that God is drawing to Himself. I love you guys.

It is interesting the Solomon turns it around and says "the foolish son is a sorrow to his mother", not the father. I'm not exactly sure why that is.

The rest of these verses are verses in which there is a contrastive as well, but the topic is more about working and being diligent in our efforts. God is the One who gives and takes away, supplies or thwarts, makes our labors prosper or fail and He wants us to work with all our might at what our hands find to do. We must keep in perspective that He honors the righteous but not the wicked.

I have been thinking much about how my righteousness, or lack there of, effects so many more people than just myself. If God blesses the righteous and not the wicked, I can't "afford" to be wicked.

I must work hard and not be a slacker, be righteous and treat others as Christ would treat them, and He will handle the rest.

I have a long way to go, but the great thing is that God finishes what He starts and He has given me an interest in spiritual things, so He will finish His work in me.