The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Daily Devotional Betty Miller shares her daily devotionals which are based on the book of Proverbs in the Bible. The Wisdom of God Verses for the Day: Proverbs 22:13-14 (KJV): 13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. 14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein. Proverbs 22:13-14 (AMP): 13 The sluggard says, There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets! 14 The mouth of loose women is a deep pit (for ensnaring wild animal); he with whom the Lord is indignant and who is abhorrent to Him will fall into it. Thoughts for the Day: These verses in Proverbs record the cry of the slothful, and also give men a warning about listening to loose women. Verse 13 is quoting the cry of a person, the Bible calls "slothful." A slothful person is one who is lazy and irresponsible. They are always running away from responsibility with any kind of excuse. In this verse they give the reason as being -- there is danger in the streets, a lion is outside and I will be killed if I venture out. Now, it could have been, there was a lion outside; however, this was not the real reason this man did not want to go out. If there had been an announcement that there truly was a lion loose, this slothful man just saw an opportunity to use this as an excuse to keep from doing his duty or going to work. When someone habitually becomes lazy, and continues to use circumstances and excuses to keep from taking their responsibility, they can also be susceptible to other things affecting them, like fear and a wild imagination. The slothful man in this verse might have become paranoid after so many times of avoiding work. Fear just overtook him, and his imagination told him that he would be slain by a lion. It really does not matter how the devil was able to keep him slothful; either way, he cannot recover from this kind of thinking without the desire to change. If the man would turn to the Lord, God would deliver him from his old nature, and he could find satisfaction in working, instead of avoiding it. There is another scripture that speaks about how people, who refuse any hardship, will not be able to reap a harvest. In Ecclesiastes we are told that people who wait until the weather is perfect, to plant or harvest, will not be able to sow or reap their crops. Sometimes the weather will not be exactly what you would like it to be to get the job done. We must have an overcoming spirit to be able to accomplish things in this world, as there are obstacles that must be conquered to accomplish our goals. As Christians, we can rely on God's grace and strength to help us do this. Ecclesiastes 11:4: "He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." Verse 14 warns men to avoid talking with loose and immoral women as they can be seduced, if they listen to their flattery and convincing words. This verse describes how men can be trapped, as her tempting words are like a pit, that is dug and then covered over, so that an unsuspecting animal will walk right over it and fall in. Of course, the reverse is true also, as lustful men can lure unsuspecting females too, but since King Solomon wrote these Proverbs, he addresses this from a male standpoint. The kind of men who fall into this sort of trap are those who ignore God's Word and His advice, as they are prideful and think they can get away with resisting God's principles. The Bible says that God resists the proud. He is indignant toward them because they have refused His ways. James 4:6-8: 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Prayer for the Day: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Words to us , in the book of Proverbs, the wonderful book of wisdom. Lord, help us to learn from this book, and avoid the things that are not good, which you have shown us through these verses. Lord, deliver me from any laziness and slothful habits that keep me from doing and enjoying my work. Give me strength to do all that You would call me to do. Lord, keep me pure and deliver me from evil. I submit to You and Your will , and I will resist the devil and his temptations with Your Word, and I expect him to flee from me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.