Proverbs 21 5 says the thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness but of everyone that is hasty only to want. That phrase, the thoughts of the diligent, simply refers to those who think before acting. They think things through in an effort to avoid careless missteps and to avoid overlooking important details. We refer to this as well-thought-out plans. Of course, I believe every single one of us fallen sinners with a sinful nature have been guilty of this sin of thoughtlessness. I know I've been guilty on many occasions over my half-century of conscious living. Those first few years are a blank to me. But in the Bible, we see some great examples of the thoughts of the diligent, We also see some who overthink things, like Jacob when returning home and running into Esau in Genesis 32. And then we see folks who underthink things, like King David in his first attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, and he got Uzzah killed, as we read about in 2 Samuel 6. Jesus taught the disciples about this very thing in Luke 14, 28 to 30, saying, for which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest happily, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build and was not able to finish. I've seen this very thing many times through the years. Buildings start to go up and then they're never finished. What's funny is I remember when I was a kid riding around my hometown area with my dad and I saw a house that had been sitting unfinished for months. I'd seen it many times, but by now the exposed two-by-fours were looking weathered. There was insulation loose and flapping in the wind. I knew the people who had lived there, so I asked what had happened, and I remember my dad being very respectful as he told me that the man who was building on to his house had lost his job and run out of money, couldn't finish the job. But he said something like this. Now, he's not a bad man, but he wasn't wise in the way he went about doing this. He should have had the money saved up and able to pay the bills to finish the job or at least gotten a low interest loan to do so. That way, even after losing his job, he could turn around and at least sell it and get his money back or pay off the loan and his house wouldn't be in this condition at a total loss practically. My dad wanted me to understand that good people sometimes do foolish things, and just because you're a good, decent person doesn't exempt you from paying the consequences for doing foolish things. Whether it's your own budget or the national economy, whether it's about your career, marriage, buying a house, buying a car, or just dealing with the many things in our daily life, The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness. Most of the time, when people fail, it's because they failed to plan. And of course, we should bathe all of that in prayer. Matthew Henry said this in his commentary on this proverb, quote, if we would live plentifully and comfortably in the world, we must be diligent in our business and not shrink from the toil and trouble of it, but prosecute it closely, improving all advantages and opportunities for it, and doing what we do with all our might, end quote. And again, I only add, We should pray through the whole process. And if we work as unto the Lord, seeking to please Him above all, then that will be true of all of us as God's children, saved by the blood of Jesus and led by His Holy Spirit. We will be the diligent who give much thought, and as a result, we will receive plenty. God's people should be thoughtful, diligent, and among the most wise and hardworking people on planet Earth. What a shame that isn't really the case, but let's make it the case with you and me.