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Friday! Proverbs!
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
Proverbs 19:24 NASB
What is this doing in the Bible?!?
Is this an over the top description of laziness?
Seems to be. Could anyone actually be that lazy?
If it's a communal food bowl, does the person just not care about others who need food. 
The word "sluggard" here also means indolent, someone addicted to a life of pleasure.
If we ramp that up to society, to the world, am I one of those who has my  hand in the bowl, and don't care about the hungry?
We corner resources and don't use them or share them. We create goods for pleasure while others go hungry...maybe that's what the writer wants us to think through.
When we allow corruption to flourish, the people who benefit get addicted to the pleasures of life at others expense.
This proverb was written to an ancient audience, but it's in here for us to ponder too, to think about how we live, what's important. 
As I do, I see that there is some of that lazy, indolent, addicted to pleasure person in me.
Today, as I dip my hand into the bowl of God's grace, truth, love, may I not be this sluggard and just leave my hand there, but use that to honour Him and love others.
#sorryforthesermon
#proverbs
#wisdom
#somethingtochewon

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