Title
It is Time to Reward the Ox
Scripture
You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.
(Deuteronomy 25:4)
Devotional
A wise man once said, “It is the duty of rich men to know how poor men live, and it is the duty of poor men to know how rich men work.” The proverb of our text, which is quoted two times in the New Testament, basically says, according to 1 Timothy 5:17, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Therefore, never begrudge the success of diligence, whether it is physical, mental or gifted. Success is to be applauded, not booed. Anyone and everyone are entitled to the fruit of their labor. Hard work is to be rewarded not punished. Yet we punish the winner and reward the whiner. We tax success and give a stipend to laziness. In a sense, we are muzzling the ox while he treads out the grain. It does not take a farmer to understand that if we continue to muzzle the ox, there soon will not be enough grain.