S) "4 Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox."
Proverbs 14:4 (NASB)
O) There is a very literal meaning in this verse. A farmer has less to clean, and therefore less labor, if he has no oxen. However, if he does have an ox, he can make more money using it to farm. This is almost like the saying, "It takes money to make money." However, this can have a great many metaphorical meanings as well. Like many of the proverbs, seeking an application for the wisdom found in it, especially in the contemporary world, means taking a passage symbolically.
A) The very first thing I thought, was that it's easier to keep my Bible in pristine condition, if I never use it, but there is life in what it contains! If I literally wear out my Bible, then I'm doing it right, I think! Still, this principle will protect me from bitterness, by helping me focus on gratitude. When I have to fill up my gas tank, I can be thankful I own a car. When I have to sweep the warehouse, I can be thankful I have a job. When I have to discipline my kids, I can be thankful I have a family. On and on it goes, that I can turn my bitterness over to joy, simply by acknowledging that the work involved in something is actually because I am blessed. Adam had to tend the garden of Eden, but that garden had the tree of life in it.
A) The very first thing I thought, was that it's easier to keep my Bible in pristine condition, if I never use it, but there is life in what it contains! If I literally wear out my Bible, then I'm doing it right, I think! Still, this principle will protect me from bitterness, by helping me focus on gratitude. When I have to fill up my gas tank, I can be thankful I own a car. When I have to sweep the warehouse, I can be thankful I have a job. When I have to discipline my kids, I can be thankful I have a family. On and on it goes, that I can turn my bitterness over to joy, simply by acknowledging that the work involved in something is actually because I am blessed. Adam had to tend the garden of Eden, but that garden had the tree of life in it.
P) Father, thank You for every blessing I have. Help me to recognize them for what they are, that I would be able to enjoy them in thanksgiving! It's all too easy for me to be distracted by the work involved in something, but I don't want to be bitter. Open my eyes to see that I want the oxen in my life, even when it means cleaning the mangers. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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