One of the strangest verses in Proverbs may also be one of the most important:
“The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man’s precious possession.”
— Proverbs 12:27 NKJV
Think about that image.
A hunter leaves home before sunrise.
He tracks the animal.
He follows the trail.
He makes the kill.
He drags the prize all the way back to camp.
And then…
He never dresses it.
He never cooks it.
He never enjoys it.
He goes hungry beside provision.
He possesses the promise but never experiences the benefit.
Solomon says that is the mark of a lazy man.
Not that he failed to hunt.
Not that he lacked opportunity.
Not that he lacked provision.
His failure came afterward.
He never roasted what he caught.
And if we’re honest, many believers do the same thing spiritually.
They have promises they never meditate on.
Authority they never exercise.
Peace they never walk in.
Freedom they never enjoy.
Victory they never lay hold of.
In Christ, the hunt is over.
The roasting remains.
An Inheritance Still Requires Possession
God told Joshua:
“Them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance.”
— Joshua 13:6 NKJV
Notice that word:
Inheritance.
The land was not wages.
The land was not payment.
The land was not earned.
It was given.
Promised.
Secured.
Inherited.
Yet later Joshua gathered the tribes together and asked a startling question:
“How long are you slack to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?”
— Joshua 18:3 NKJV
Notice the tension.
The land had been given.
But it had not been possessed.
The promise was settled.
The experience was not.
Seven tribes were living beneath what God had already provided.
The issue was not God’s willingness to give.
The issue was Israel’s willingness to possess.
Grace may put the land in your name.
Faith teaches your feet how to walk on it.
There Is Still a Fight
Many people hear grace and assume there is no longer any fight.
Paul disagreed.
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.”
— 1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV
Notice the kind of fight Paul describes.
Not a fight with God.
Not a fight to persuade heaven.
Not a fight to earn what Christ purchased.
It is a fight of faith.
A fight to possess what already belongs to you.
A fight to lay hold of what grace has already provided.
Healing belongs to us in Christ.
Peace belongs to us in Christ.
Joy belongs to us in Christ.
Freedom belongs to us in Christ.
Victory belongs to us in Christ.
The question isn’t whether God has provided it.
The question is whether we will possess what He has already given.
The Blessing Does Not Cancel Diligence
Proverbs tells us:
“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”
— Proverbs 10:22 NKJV
Yet only a few verses earlier, King Solomon writes:
“The hand of the diligent makes rich.”
— Proverbs 10:4 NKJV
These truths are not enemies.
They are partners.
God’s blessing removes toil.
It does not remove diligence.
Grace removes earning.
It does not remove responsibility.
Inheritance removes striving.
It does not remove possessing.
A farmer cannot make the seed grow.
But he still plants.
He still waters.
He still gathers the harvest.
God does what only God can do.
Faith responds to grace with action.
That has always been God’s pattern.
Desire Is Not Possession
Solomon writes:
“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.”
— Proverbs 13:4 NKJV
Many believers desire things they never pursue.
They desire deeper prayer.
They desire greater revelation.
They desire stronger faith.
They desire freedom from fear.
They desire intimacy with God.
Yet desire by itself changes nothing.
One old commentator observed:
“The idle man is occupied with wishes rather than actions.”
That is painfully true.
There is a difference between wishing and possessing.
Faith moves.
Faith acts.
Faith reaches.
Faith lays hold.
The Measure You Use
Jesus said:
“With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.”
— Mark 4:24 NKJV
Response determines increase.
Charles Spurgeon once said:
“The hearer of the Gospel will get measure for measure, and the measure shall be his own measure.”
Light responded to produces more light.
Truth obeyed produces more truth.
Faith exercised produces more faith.
Jesus goes even further:
“Whoever has, to him more will be given.”
— Mark 4:25 NKJV
Spiritual growth creates momentum.
So does spiritual neglect.
Roast the Hunt
There is still a possessing after the inheritance has been given.
There is still a laying hold after grace has provided.
There is still a fight after the victory has been won.
But it is not the fight of earning.
It is the fight of faith.
You are not fighting for victory.
You are fighting from victory.
You are not fighting for acceptance.
You are fighting from acceptance.
You are not fighting for an inheritance.
You are fighting because an inheritance has already been placed in your name.
The hunter who never cooks his game goes hungry beside provision.
The tribe that never enters its inheritance lives poor in the middle of abundance.
The believer who never lays hold of God’s promises lives beneath what Christ purchased.
So possess your possessions.
Lay hold of what grace has provided.
Step into your inheritance.
And for heaven’s sake—
Roast the hunt.
Copyright © Murrell Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
At 18 years old, Elijah Murrell heard the Lord speak three life-defining words to his heart: "Preach Righteousness. Declare Faithfulness. Do Greater Works." Those words became the foundation of Murrell Ministries International and continue to shape everything he does in ministry today.
Elijah is the host of the Greater Than Podcast, which he launched on November 19, 2019. Since its debut, the podcast has reached listeners in over 70 countries worldwide, tackling real issues facing culture and the Church while bringing them back to the truth of God's Word. His teaching style is both practical and Spirit-filled, making deep truths relatable for everyday life.
Before stepping into full-time itinerant ministry, Elijah gained hands-on experience that prepared him for the calling he walks in today. He served as an intern for a television ministry in Texas, where he learned the importance of excellence, vision, and media in advancing the Gospel. Later, he spent a term as an associate pastor in Atlanta, investing in people's lives, preaching, and shepherding a local congregation. These seasons gave him a depth and perspective that continue to fuel his heart for the global Church.
On February 4, 2021, Elijah was set apart as an associate member of Faith Life International under his spiritual parents, Keith and Phyllis Moore. Today, Elijah travels full-time across the U.S. and beyond, preaching an empowering message of righteousness, faith, and the supernatural life available in Christ. His passion is to see believers awakened to their identity in Christ—living boldly, walking in victory, and doing greater works by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(When he is not traveling, Elijah enjoys movies, classic television, sporting events, and Batman)
