Why it's Good to Plant in Season and Avoid Begging in Harvest Time

*Proverbs 20:4*
Mtu *mvivu hataki kulima* wakati wa baridi; Hivyo *wakati wa mavuno ataomba*, hana kitu.
_The *sluggard will not plow by reason* of the cold; therefore shall *he beg in harvest*, and have nothing_.

Why We Must Not Be Sluggards

This proverb was written at the time when farming was a predominant source of livelihood. Because the ground was cursed due to Adam’s sin, getting food out of it now requires effort. The *sluggards are people who are slow, indifferent, or lazy*. When *it rains, productive people cut their sleep hours in order to have more productive time* during the *ploughing time*. But the *sluggard avoids any hard work or any ‘inconvenience’ to their sleep*. However, *sleeping during ploughing does not eradicate the need to eat*. Hunger is not lazy. In fact, it is very active on those who do not work.

Why You Must Never Beg During Harvest Time

When time for harvest comes, the *sluggard could move from field to field asking for handouts but no one could help*. By the way, even the provision for the poor called for them to go and glean which required effort but a sluggard wanted to get finished products.

Do the Right Thing at the Right Time
Today the economy is different but the principle remains the same. Ploughing in season is doing the right thing at the right time. A *young person who has an opportunity to be in school should remember that it is ploughing time*. Invest *all your time and strength in education*. If you do, you will have a harvest of decent employment. However, there are those who choose to *play and avoid the hard work* which breeds success in their studies. *Time for harvest will come* when they will need to survive but life will deal with them ruthlessly. Even in any other pursuit of life, *there is time to plough* and *time to harvest*. In child training there are those who do not impart virtuous principles in their children in time. They *will be disappointed at the harvest time* to find that they can not enjoy the harvest of proactive parents. *To everyone there is the opportunity of ‘ploughing’ and ‘harvest’*. Let us *be diligent in the ‘ploughing’ season* so that we will *enjoy the ‘harvest’*. In our *spiritual walk*, we are in the *ploughing time*. The *harvest time is when Jesus Christ comes*. Those *who obey God are the good plants and those who disobey are the stubborn plants*. At harvest time the stubborn will cry, _*”The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved”* (Jeremiah 8:20)._

I wish you a happy and blessed Sabbath day!

*Shalom!!!*