Our Diligence
Our diligence is an important key to maintaining a good quality of life.
Diligence means wholly, carefully, energetic, more earnestly than others,
eagerness, wholeheartedly
We are told that we will find God when we diligently seek for Him (Jeremiah 29:
12-13) “then shall you call upon Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I
will hearken to you. And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall
search for Me with all your heart”. The psalmist in 119:4 says to the Lord
Yahweh “You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently”.
Proverbs gives us many good keys (Proverbs 8:17) it says, speaking of
wisdom “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me”;
(Proverbs 10:4) says “he becomes poor that deals with a slack (negligent)
hand; but the hand of the diligent makes rich”. And then in Proverbs 21:5 it
says “the thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every
one that is hasty only to want”.
In Deuteronomy 4:9 Moses instructs the Israelites to be diligent; it says “only
take heed (be careful) to yourself; and keep your soul diligently, less you
forget the things which your eyes have seen, and less they depart from your
heart all the days of your life; but teach them your sons, and your sons’ sons”.
This is not only for us, but we are told to teach them to our children as well
(Deuteronomy 6:6-9,17) “and these words which I command you this day,
shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the
way, and when you lay down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them
for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates”.
God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) “but without faith it
is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. In Proverbs 12:24-
27 it says “the hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but the slothful shall be
under tribute. Heaviness in the heart of man makes it sloop; but a good word
makes it glad. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor; but the way
of the wicked seduces them. The slothful man roasts not that which he took
in hunting; but the substance of the diligent man is precious”. We also see in
Hebrews 6:10-12 which says “for God is not unrighteous to forget your work
and labor of love, which you have showed toward His name in that you have
ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you
do show the same diligence t the full assurance of hope to the end. That you
be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit
the promises”.
We have a great promise from God (Exodus 15:26) “if you will diligently
hearken to the voice of the Lord Yahweh your God; and will do that which is
right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord Yahweh that heals you”. Also in
(Deuteronomy 28:1-2) “and it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken
diligently to the voice of the Lord Yahweh your God, to observe and to do all
His commandments which I command you this day, that the Lord Yahweh your
God will set you on high above all nations of the earth. And all these
blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall hearken to the
voice of the Lord Yahweh your God”. That 28th chapter goes on to list all the
blessings from verse 3-14, and then reveals the curses if you won’t hearken
to His commandments from verse 15-68.
Proverbs 4:20-27 says “My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my
sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your
heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away
from you a forward, deceitful mouth, and perverse lips put far from you. Let
your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you. Ponder
the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Turn not to the
right hand nor to the left; remove your foot from evil”. Psalms 77:6 says “I call
to remembrance my song in the night; I commune with my own heart; and my
spirit made diligent search”. We have to remember that Proverbs 23:7 says
“as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”.
We enter into His rest by our diligence (Hebrews 4:9-11,16) “there remains
therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he
also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labor
therefore to enter into that rest, less any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”.
The apostle Paul writes to Timothy “study to show yourself approved to God,
a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane and vain babblings; for they will increase to more
ungodliness” (II Timothy 2:15-16).
The apostle Peter writes “wherefore; the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure; for if you do these things, you shall
never fall. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be
diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless”
(II Peter 1:10, and 3:14).
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: May 20, 2011
Our diligence is an important key to maintaining a good quality of life.
Diligence means wholly, carefully, energetic, more earnestly than others,
eagerness, wholeheartedly
We are told that we will find God when we diligently seek for Him (Jeremiah 29:
12-13) “then shall you call upon Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I
will hearken to you. And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall
search for Me with all your heart”. The psalmist in 119:4 says to the Lord
Yahweh “You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently”.
Proverbs gives us many good keys (Proverbs 8:17) it says, speaking of
wisdom “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me”;
(Proverbs 10:4) says “he becomes poor that deals with a slack (negligent)
hand; but the hand of the diligent makes rich”. And then in Proverbs 21:5 it
says “the thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every
one that is hasty only to want”.
In Deuteronomy 4:9 Moses instructs the Israelites to be diligent; it says “only
take heed (be careful) to yourself; and keep your soul diligently, less you
forget the things which your eyes have seen, and less they depart from your
heart all the days of your life; but teach them your sons, and your sons’ sons”.
This is not only for us, but we are told to teach them to our children as well
(Deuteronomy 6:6-9,17) “and these words which I command you this day,
shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the
way, and when you lay down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them
for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates”.
God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) “but without faith it
is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. In Proverbs 12:24-
27 it says “the hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but the slothful shall be
under tribute. Heaviness in the heart of man makes it sloop; but a good word
makes it glad. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor; but the way
of the wicked seduces them. The slothful man roasts not that which he took
in hunting; but the substance of the diligent man is precious”. We also see in
Hebrews 6:10-12 which says “for God is not unrighteous to forget your work
and labor of love, which you have showed toward His name in that you have
ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you
do show the same diligence t the full assurance of hope to the end. That you
be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit
the promises”.
We have a great promise from God (Exodus 15:26) “if you will diligently
hearken to the voice of the Lord Yahweh your God; and will do that which is
right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord Yahweh that heals you”. Also in
(Deuteronomy 28:1-2) “and it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken
diligently to the voice of the Lord Yahweh your God, to observe and to do all
His commandments which I command you this day, that the Lord Yahweh your
God will set you on high above all nations of the earth. And all these
blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall hearken to the
voice of the Lord Yahweh your God”. That 28th chapter goes on to list all the
blessings from verse 3-14, and then reveals the curses if you won’t hearken
to His commandments from verse 15-68.
Proverbs 4:20-27 says “My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my
sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your
heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away
from you a forward, deceitful mouth, and perverse lips put far from you. Let
your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you. Ponder
the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Turn not to the
right hand nor to the left; remove your foot from evil”. Psalms 77:6 says “I call
to remembrance my song in the night; I commune with my own heart; and my
spirit made diligent search”. We have to remember that Proverbs 23:7 says
“as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”.
We enter into His rest by our diligence (Hebrews 4:9-11,16) “there remains
therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he
also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labor
therefore to enter into that rest, less any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”.
The apostle Paul writes to Timothy “study to show yourself approved to God,
a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane and vain babblings; for they will increase to more
ungodliness” (II Timothy 2:15-16).
The apostle Peter writes “wherefore; the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure; for if you do these things, you shall
never fall. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be
diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless”
(II Peter 1:10, and 3:14).
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: May 20, 2011
