A slothful man hunts and even makes a kill but considers it too much work to prepare and roast that which he killed. He would rather see the meat go to waste than to put forth the effort necessary to preserve the food. However, a diligent man considers his substance to be precious. He has no desire to see something go to waste. Interestingly enough, the Lord Jesus made a point along these lines at the feeding of the five thousand. After He fed the multitude, the Lord Jesus told the disciples to “Gather up the fragments that remain[ed], that nothing be lost” (John 6:12). It was important to the Lord that His followers made full use of the substance given to them of the Father. Nothing was to go to waste. A diligent man considers every part to be precious, even those things the world would allow to spoil.
When one thinks of strength, he often thinks only in the physical realm. He might focus on the ability to lift weights, endure a great amount of pain, or compete in a strenuous sport. Yet, the Bible points to true strength that has nothing to do with one’s physical prowess. The Bible says that the ability to retain riches reflects one of the greatest emblems of strength. Proverbs also warns that “riches . . . make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven” (Proverbs 23:5). This means that a fool simply watches as his substance departs with no benefits to show for the loss. Yet, a strong man sets aside money and wisely preserves what the Lord has entrusted to him. Perhaps our heroes should not be those in sports but those who refrain from spending money to satisfy the lusts of the flesh.
Proverbs 21 contrasts the substance of a wise man versus the substance of a fool. In the home of the wise man, one can find oil and desired treasures. Whenever a need arises, he is prepared to take care of it himself. This is not true of the fool. He cannot take care of himself. We do not know if the fool at some point had treasures and oil as well, but because of his wasteful spending habits, he no longer has those things. In addition to the fool no longer having his substance, he also cannot likely account for how he used those things. Maybe the fool, like far too many Christians, wasted his substance on pleasurable living (Proverbs 21:17). For whatever reason, the fool cannot hold onto the goods entrusted to him by the Lord. Society today has grown accustomed to living on borrowed money, thus spending the future today.
Joy and peace! Any sensible person would readily admit his desire for a life filled with joy. Yet, few people understand the prerequisites for regularly living that way. Previous studies mentioned several of joy’s accompanying virtues, but today’s passage provides one of joy's unifying properties. According to our passage, peace accompanies joy. Proverbs 12:20 also expresses this same relationship: “Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.” Those who seek peace will often find joy in this life because peace and joy are entwined. Isaiah 55:12 restates this truth: “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace.” It is important to note that men will not “go out with joy” unless they are first “led forth with peace.” Peace and joy are always inseparable. Those who have the peace of God after they are at peace with God through salvation will experience "joy unspeakable" (1 Peter 1:8).
We have already learned that our joy is to be found in the Lord and this joy is a special gift from above. With this truth foundational to our study, what are some things that we can do as believers that will bring us lasting joy? Far too many people think joy surfaces once the stresses of life cease or at least begin to diminish. Yet, the Bible teaches that joy can be found only in faithfully serving the Lord. Today's verse reveals that the disciples found joy through what God had done in and through them! Considering a few more scriptural examples of joy should help to solidify our mindset concerning this subject. The Bible records great joy as the people of God willingly sacrificed to the Lord (1 Chronicles 29:17). Proverbs 21:15 reveals that “It is joy to the just to do judgment.” The book of Luke tells us that there is joy in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7). From these and other examples, we know that true joy will be found when we willingly serve the Lord God, but never in the things of this world.
