Proverbs 14:4

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

In Biblical times oxen were very important to a farmer. They allowed him to clear his fields of rocks, trees and debris to prepare it for planting. They allowed him to plow his field faster and deeper than he could do under his own power. And during harvest they allowed him to gather all his crops and take them to market. In a real sense they sustained him and his family.

But to care for oxen required work. They had to be trained, fed, watered, and cared for when injured. Their barns had to be built and cleaned on a regular basis. Even their young had to be cared for after birth.

So in order to experience all the benefits oxen provided, the farmer had to put in some effort. He literally had to get his hands dirty.

God provides us with all kinds of opportunities with major benefits. Some include:

• Educational opportunities to increase our knowledge or learn new skills
• Opportunities at work to learn different aspects of the business and advance
• Opportunities to develop new relationships, professional and personal
• Opportunities to help others and impact their lives
• Opportunities to know the Lord on a deeper level

All of these opportunities have benefits that enrich ourselves, our families, and overall help make our lives more prosperous. But they all require work; we have to get our hands dirty. They require some level of time, sacrifice, focus, money, discomfort and inconvenience.

What oxen (opportunities) has God placed before you that will require you to get our hands a little dirty? You can skip out on the work and have a “clean manger”, but you will also lose out on a great harvest prepared just for you.