A Clean Crib Means An Empty Cupboard

“Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.” (Pr 14:4 AV)

There is work in doing work.  Much increase creates a mess that has to be cleaned up.  The picture here is obvious.  If one wants to increase the corn in one’s barn, he will have to have oxen that plow the field.  If he has oxen, they will need tending to.  The crib is the stall.  The excrement must be cleaned out.  The floor needs to be disinfected.  The old hay needs to be removed and new hay put in its place.  The oxen need to be fed and watered.  They need to be seen by the vet, have their shots, and repairs done to their hoofs.  They need a barn to dwell in and that takes repairs and maintenance.  They need to be bred and replaced from time to time and that is a whole other list of tasks.  Their plowing equipment must also be purchased and maintained.  All this so the job of sowing and reaping can begin.  It takes labor to labor.  But labor is the only way to increase what one has or what one will need.

Several years back, I wanted to learn how to play the mandolin.  Friends of mine offered to let me use one of theirs once.  I played it for about an hour and was hooked.  So, I began the process of researching mandolins.  I looked at both styles.  The A style and F style.  Then I looked at the material used in the instruments.  I discovered the more solid wood in the instrument, the better it sounded and the more value it had.  I then looked into specifics for a guitar player to transition to the mandolin.  I finally settled on a crossover mandolin for guitar players.  The fretboard was radiused and slightly wider.  This allows more forgiveness in picking notes.  More room between the strings.  The mandolin that I chose was not cheap.  It cost me a pretty penny.  With this instrument, there are certain steps to take to keep it is tip-top condition.  When you go to a music store to look at wooden instruments, they are in a room with humidity controls.  They are kept in that room so the wood does not dry out and crack.  I don’t have one of those rooms, so I need to keep this prized instrument in a case with some source of hydration.  Water balls work wonderfully.  This instrument must be tuned before each and every time I play it.  It must be sealed in a case that can maintain humidity.  I have to replace the strings about once every six months.  It has to be polished.  When changing the strings, the bridge may have to be realigned to the perfect sweet spot.  There is much work to do just to bring forth the music this instrument can produce.

Increasing in life creates work.  Work creates more work.  This is unavoidable.  The more work we are willing to do, the more increase comes of it.  This is how life works.  If we begin to enumerate all that is involved with an increase, we may conclude it is not worth the effort.  The funny thing about an increase.  It is only slightly more than the effort one puts into it.  We all want profit margins of 300 percent.  Life doesn’t work that way.  The time and resources we put into a hopeful gain are only slightly less than we invested.  A clean crib would be nice.  Not having to worry about sharpening the blades on the plow would be wonderful.  With no wood to chop to build the barn, one can have more leisure.  It would be nice to have time to oneself rather than to take the time to care for an animal.  The reality is, there would be no increase as a result.  Solomon is encouraging his son to work harder.  Do all he can do to maximize the increase which he can realize.  A clean crib means an empty cupboard.