I have often been disappointed by people that seem to expect business leaders to give away their products and services when they are run by Christians. God calls business people to do excellent business. Sometimes they desire to donate their products and services. That’s a wonderful thing. However, that should always be a gift from the Lord and a pleasant surprise to the receiver. In this verse Solomon is intentionally not comparing the hoarder with the giver. This is a comparison between the one who holds onto their product to intentionally get the price higher. We have heard warnings about this practice when there are natural disasters. A business whose product is badly needed might be accused of raising the cost even though their supply is plentiful just because people have become desperate for it. Gas is almost always mentioned. Early in the covid pandemic it appeared to be paper products. Whatever it is this passage strongly warns about the practice. St Chrysostom says about this person that they are, “a common enemy of the blessings of the world, and a foe to the liberality of the Lord of the world”. The opposite is a good example of the cheerful giver from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. So make a profit, it’s your responsibility but, be reasonable, kind and generous in the process. The challenge is in finding and keeping it balanced. Today do what’s right. #BeTheEdge“…for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬b NIV‬‬

“People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.”

I’m always intrigued when back to back days the same issue is discussed by Solomon. Yesterday we talked a bit about a sluggard. Here it is again. Obviously he doesn’t have very positive things to say about them. The Gospel Coalition gives 8 marks of a sluggard. I can’t review them all in this short devotion but as I read through them I was struck not only by what a sad and essentially useless person they were but also what an awful employee they make. A few of the points are that they neither start nor finish things. They don’t face hard things and are constantly causing trouble. They are self deceived and finally they will never become a leader. Thats a pretty sad list. I’m sure any one of them would keep them off a recruiters list. I’m kind of wondering about Solomon’s statement and why anyone would send them to represent or carry out a task in the first place. It seems doomed to failure. The first point he makes is that they are not only a disappointment, they are also very annoying and frustrating. Dr. Derek Brown writes, “The good news of salvation apart from works motivates us to labor diligently in this brief life on earth for the glory of God, the good of others, and our own benefit. And the energizing Spirit of Christ compels us to sharpen our God-given skills so we might be useful to our King and to our fellow man, to courageously face and complete difficult tasks, and to avoid the unnecessary trouble of laziness.” That is good news. I have a tendency at about 3 in the afternoon to want to shut down and become a bit of a vegetable. God’s Spirit and His call motivate me to stay in the race. Today look for places of temptation to shut down and ask God to let you know if it’s time for rest or time to keep working. #BeTheEdge“We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.” Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them.”

Home

Challenge Library

Daily Challenges

Breadcrumbs

generator

https://borders.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/the-edge-fw/_t/_1200x630_crop_center-center_82_none/Screenshot-2024-02-21-at-9.38.26-AM.png?mtime=1708526361

Empowering Leaders To Influence Their Corporate Culture for the Kingdom.

https://www.theedgefw.com/challenge-library/daily-challenges

referrer

robots

twitter:card

twitter:creator

twitter:image

twitter:image:alt

twitter:image:height

twitter:image:width

twitter:title

{"title":{"title":"Daily Challenges"}}

Mark Whitacre will be the guest speaker at the 2025 breakfast. Mark was a corporate whistleblower for his company Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in the late 1990s. The movie "The Informant" is based on what Mark went through during that time.

Https cdn evbuc com images 703157509 2023307347543 1 original

Join us on the greens at Coyote Creek Golf Club for an unforgettable day of sport, camaraderie, and generosity.

Https cdn evbuc com images 703229299 2023307347543 1 original

Partner icon

Join The Edge Partner Company Program and experience the benefits of a Kingdom-inspired culture.

“The Edge Daily” sends a daily verse from Proverbs along with an uplifting interpretation of how that verse can be applied to our daily lives.

Monthly Challenges

By subscribing you agree to our <a href="https://example.com">Privacy Policy</a>.

Subscribe to receive the latest challenge to help inspire your in your faith journey.

Daily Challenges Archive

“People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.”

“As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them.”

Become A Partner