Proverbs 21:25-26
The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
How is it that desire kills the sluggard? Being lazy is the obvious cause. Being a slacker is a serious flaw, to be sure, but combining that flaw with ungodly desire is deadly. Think of the addicted who crave and crave for a fix. Their very addiction makes them sluggards, while all the more it is critical for them to earn money to satisfy their cravings which can never be satisfied. Unless their addiction is broken, they will inevitably die. Think of the person craving for wealth, but lacks discipline. He tries foolish scheme after another, trying to find the route to quick, easy wealth. Each scheme leads him further into debt until the day of reckoning comes. Think of the individual lost in his daydreams which prevent him from applying himself to his work. His very desire keeps him from achieving his goal.
That is why the sluggard is contrasted with the righteous, rather than merely the industrious. The righteous desires the right things. He desires to please his Lord. He wants to be like Jesus. He does not curb his cravings so much as he craves good things such as doing good and expressing the love of his Savior. Thus he gives and does not hold back; and thus he receives all the more from his Lord. The desire of the righteous strengthens him rather than weakens. As he blesses, he is blessed.
Psalm 47
Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.2 For the Lord Most High is awesome,
the great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.[b]5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings[c] of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.