There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up (Proverbs 21:20).

Back in the 1960’s, a Stanford psychologist set out to measure self-control among a group of preschoolers. He was interested to observe the effects of self-restraint and delayed gratification as markers of success in life. He gathered the children in a room and set one marshmallow in front of each child. They were told they were free to eat it right away, but if they waited a bit longer, they would be given a second marshmallow. In other words, if they delayed gratification there would be a greater reward. 

Naturally, the responses from the children varied, with some devouring the marshmallow before any instructions were given, while others sat on their hands to resist the impulse to swallow up the yummy treat. The researcher then followed this test group for decades to observe the correlation of self-restraint to their level of success in life. 

Interestingly, he found that those who exercised self-control and waited for the second marshmallow, generally exhibited higher test scores, better health and relationships than those who ate the marshmallow right away. That seems like a pretty big pay-off for waiting a few extra minutes to pop that marshmallow in your mouth!

In a time when we have so much at our fingertips - delayed gratification is a bit of an odd concept. Whether it is searching for information on the internet, heating up a meal or watching a movie, we are used to getting things quickly and with minimal effort. 

In this Proverb, Solomon is telling us there is reward in slowing down and savoring the treasures or sweet moments in life. Instead of being tempted to take shortcuts, perhaps we ought to wait for something better that God has in store. 

Fortunately, we are not left to summon self-restraint on our own. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. As we submit our lives daily to One who is All-Knowing, we can trust that His very best awaits us.

Thank you, Lord Jesus that you are Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Our Provider. You satisfy our every want, our every need in Your perfect plan and timing, whether in the here and now, or in the everlasting life to come.