Which other scriptures highlight the value of hard work and stewardship? What Proverbs 27:26 Teaches “the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.” • A snapshot of rural life: diligent care of flocks brings wool for garments and income for land. • The verse assumes regular, attentive labor. No shortcuts—daily feeding, guarding, shearing, selling. • It also assumes stewardship: the shepherd does not squander what the animals yield but reinvests it (“price of a field”) for future fruitfulness. Hard Work Commended Elsewhere • Proverbs 12:11 – “He who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks judgment.” • Proverbs 14:23 – “There is profit in all hard work, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” • Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might…” • Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men… It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” • 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 – refusal to work is censured; productive labor is commanded. • Proverbs 21:5 – steady, deliberate planning is contrasted with hurried schemes. Stewardship Woven Through Scripture • Genesis 2:15 – humanity’s first vocation: “cultivate and keep” the garden. • Luke 16:10-12 – faithfulness with “very little” determines trust with “much.” • Matthew 25:14-30 – the parable of the talents rewards those who multiply what is entrusted. • 1 Corinthians 4:2 – “it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” • Proverbs 13:22 – “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…” (wise management blesses future generations). Practical Marks of Biblical Diligence and Stewardship – Consistent effort: ants in Proverbs 6:6-11 illustrate planning ahead, even when no one is watching. – Honest earnings: Ephesians 4:28 links working “with his own hands” to generosity toward the needy. – Provision for family: 1 Timothy 5:8 frames daily labor as a matter of faithfulness to God. – Investment mindset: just as goats could purchase a field, wise believers view resources as tools for kingdom growth, not mere consumption. Living Out Proverbs 27:26 Today • Treat every task—office spreadsheets, classroom lessons, farm chores—as flock-tending entrusted by God. • Reinvest returns: set aside margin for future ministry, family needs, and benevolence. • Measure success by faithfulness, not flash. Steady, God-honoring work builds “fields” that bless generations. The consistent witness of Scripture is clear: diligent labor partnered with faithful stewardship is God’s chosen path to provision, generosity, and enduring fruitfulness. |
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