Day 21 – The Trap You Don’t See
Proverbs 21:5 (NIV) “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”
It happened in seconds.
A fisherman set his net too close to shore, eager for a quick catch. The first tug was exciting fish trapped inside. But the second tug was heavier. He pulled harder… only to find the net ripped wide open. Every fish gone. His rush for “now” cost him “later.”
Life has a way of doing that to us. We chase the shortcut, the quick fix, the easy “yes,” only to watch the long-term reward slip through our fingers. Proverbs calls it out haste leads to poverty. Not just financial poverty… but the poverty of regret, missed opportunities, shallow character.
Diligence may feel slow, but it’s the kind of slow that builds something you can stand on. God’s blessings rarely ride in on the back of a rush they grow in the soil of steady faithfulness.
Personal Application:
- Watch for the “quick win” that costs you your long-term purpose.
- Ask yourself: am I planting seeds or just chasing shortcuts?
- Practice patience as an act of faith it’s trusting that God’s timing will deliver better than your hurry ever could.
Prayer: Lord, guard me from the trap of haste. Teach me to work steadily, trust fully, and wait patiently for what You’ve prepared. Amen.
Heart Reminder: “The shortcut to what you want often cuts you off from what you need.”