Proverbs 18:9-11 (ESV)
9 Whoever is slack in his work
is a brother to him who destroys.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.
The slack one procrastinates, putting off what she knows she needs to do. Because she doesn’t tackle her work head-on, it’s as if she allowed a thief or a destroyer to plunder her stuff. But in reality, she is the criminal, stealing from herself. The character of our God is our protection and provision. When attacked by the gossip or the slanderer, the righteous woman purposefully turns to the Lord, fully trusting him to make things right. She clings to the promises of his word and is at peace. In contrast, the ungodly person puts her trust in her possessions and even her earthly relationships. But when the hour of judgment comes, she will find they fail to protect her from harm in this life and the next. The foolish woman anchors her faith in what she sees, while the godly woman rivets her hope in the invisible but all-present God.