Wisdom on Work

Ray Ortlund:

Poverty because of injustice is no disgrace, but laziness is. God made us for good, hard work. ... We are rediscovering in these times of economic recession that poverty is never far away. The diligent understand that. Things never turn out well automatically, even in good times. So "the hand of the diligent" intervenes, to keep making progress. The prosperity we Americans were born into is not a natural state of affairs. How did it happen? The Greatest Generation, after winning World War II, came home and built this country up by their diligent hands. The privileges we have inherited are the blessing of the Lord through "the hand of the diligent." And now it is our turn. God blesses through our hard work. If you are not going anywhere financially because you have not disciplined yourself and worked hard and made good use of your time and brains, you need to repent. God has not run out of blessing.

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense. (Proverbs 12:11)

...

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. (Proverbs 13:11)

Here is how God doesn't provide--the lottery and all get-rich-quick schemes. But how does God get us ahead? "Little by little." That is, by our patient, intelligent efforts over a lifetime--not by windfalls, but by handfuls.

Proverbs: Wisdom that Works (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 176, boldface emphasis added.