Proverbs 12:11-12

¹¹ Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense. ¹² The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures.

10 Years

The Ilokano term for “Kadyos” or “Pigeon Peas” is “Kardis.” In the first 10-years of our stay in Canada, I was craving for “Kardis.” I came to know that “Pigeon Peas” is the English term of “Kardis” after 10-years of stay in Canada.

Whenever my family asks, “What’s food for dinner?” and I say, “10-years.” They know that “Kardis,” “Kadyos” or “Pigeon Peas” is our food for dinner. Several decades ago, my mother would cook “Pigeon Peas” in a large caldron. That would be our food until it lasts. There’s scarcity of food back in those days.

Dried seed of legumes like pigeon peas, mongo, black beans, red beans or white beans are stored up as survival means for everyone in the community. We store up harvest for rainy days, so they say. Have you experienced scarcity of food for extended time? What preparation did you do to be sure that you have something to eat during rainy days, when there’s minimal or even no harvest?

Together, let us reflect on a parable that Christ shared in Luke 12:16-21:

¹⁶The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.  ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ ¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ ²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ ²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

It’s wise to store up so much food for the future; it’s a practical resolution in life on earth to have abundance of material wealth. But it is foolishness, if there’s no preparation for life in heaven. It’s wise to work hard and save, but it’s wiser to work harder or work double time and store up eternal treasures for ourselves.

1.  Worker

¹¹ Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

The phrase “work their land” implies productive diligence. Farmers are always busy in their farm. They prepare for planting season and keep working until harvest. Then after harvest, they prepare again for the next planting season. There’s no extended vacation for the diligent, productive and wise farmers.

In comparison, day-dreaming or just waiting for better opportunity without doing anything productive for extended time is not wise. Naturally, mankind looks for leisure but to be actively productive is blessing from God. Do you accept that?

Together, let us try to reflect on what it declares in Ecclesiastes 9:10-11:

¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. ¹¹ I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

This advisory can be easily understood word for word, but it is not readily applied practically. Why? To internalize biblical advisory from the wisest king of Israel King Solomon, it requires wisdom from God. To personally consider and practically apply this godly advisory, we need inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

You heard it said, “Life is short. Enjoy it!” Such is ordinary understanding about life. But for Christians, we must use our time productively because life is short; we have to be diligent at storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven.

Have you ever pondered why God created humans as adults, but the next generations were born as infants? God didn’t create each human as adult, why? God gave instructions to the first humans, and parents are task to give instruction to their children. Without instruction, a human tendency is to linger doing nothing.

You can easily observe among children. If you leave children alone, you cannot expect them to prepare food for themselves even when they get hungry.

Video Game

Have you ever heard of stories about people who died while playing video games? Really? According to reports, 24 people died playing video games, and mostly in Asia. The age of the victims ranged from 11 to 40 years old. There’re 18 victims who took part in marathon video game session before they died. They had very little rest, if any; they ignored hunger; no exercise; no sleep. Why?

Does it take wisdom to internalize that the physical body needs fuel and rest to be more productive? See? If you drive your car extensively, it overheats and stops running. Without fuel, a car won’t run. Likewise, human physical body will get tired at some point. Our physical body needs food, drink, exercise, sleep to sustain better health. Does it require so much wisdom to realize that reality?

Together, let us seriously ponder upon what it says in James 1:5-8, ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Parents, if there’s something great that you wish for your children, pray for faith and wisdom. Pray regularly that the Lord bestows wisdom and faith to them.

Pray also for parenting wisdom for yourselves. Godly wisdom is great asset for believers to be spiritually productive and to avoid wickedness always.

2.  Wicked

¹² The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures.

How do you interpret this: “The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers?”

Bad elements of the society want to follow wicked schemes; they want to imitate lifestyles, behaviors and habits of wicked people who have much wealth.

Someone published an article how he became millionaire. He suggested that those who want to be millionaire should stop listening to outdated parental advice. He also wrote that honesty is not a good policy for business people.

Of course, it takes wisdom to discern wise or foolish statements. Someone commented on the article that he was very honest in all his transactions, and he also gained enough wealth for him and his family to enjoy their pleasant life.

Well, anyone can be envious of prosperity of wicked people. It testified in Psalm 73:2-3, ²But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. ³For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Pray for wisdom whenever you read articles online. Articles in the internet may have been generated by “Artificial Intelligence” and not by actual person.

It’s far better to adhere to the proverb, “the root of the righteous endures.” Plants with strong roots will most probably thrive during storm. Of course, the ground where plants are rooted is huge factor for stability of roots. Likewise, if righteousness is rooted and originated from God, we persevere despite stormy life, challenging moment or unprecedented situation that disturbs peace of life.

Earthquake

Last week, a strong earthquake disturbed peace in Taiwan. There’s video of a person having fun in a swimming pool. Suddenly, there was earthquake, and the water in the swimming pool splashed like huge waves in the ocean.

Destructive calamity like earthquake happens anytime. Productivity can be paralyzed. Hunger and lack of food can be subsequent result. What can we do?

Let’s reflect on what it says in Psalm 34:17-19, ¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. ¹⁸The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. ¹⁹The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.

As we pray for deliverance from our own troubles, we pray for victims of earthquake or war. Praying is ministry, and God prepared reward for it also. Whatever happens in life, we keep on trusting the Lord for best results. Amen!

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