The Benefits of Diligence

Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
Proverbs 12:27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do and yields great benefits. For instance, consider what the Bible has to say about diligence. God’s word promises that diligence brings an increase of substance (Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 21:5) and promotion (Proverbs 12:24; Proverbs 22:29). In other words, as the saying goes, hard work pays off. It is not difficult to prove that these benefits manifest themselves in the lives of God’s people who are diligent. Joseph and Daniel are two great examples of those who were diligent and their diligence brought them obvious promotion. Abraham and Job are great examples of diligent men who experienced a great increase of substance. A word of caution might be appropriate here. Men are not to be diligent merely for the sake of reaping its inherent benefits, but should be diligent for the sake of the One who called them to be diligent.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): Do you like to hear mom, dad, the preacher, or your Sunday school teacher say, "Good job"? It makes you feel good about what you’ve done. Simply do your best in everything you do. Others will notice and the Lord will too (Proverbs 15:3).

• (For everyone): Do you find favour with people for whom you work? Do you find that you are consistently praised for your efforts in the home or at work? If not, you may be suffering from a lack of diligence in your tasks.

• Do you always try to give your best on the job? Do you always strive to give your best at home? What about school? The Bible tells us, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

PRAYER THOUGHTS

• Ask God to reveal how diligent you are in every area of your life.

• Ask God to bring to light the dreadful results of a life lacking diligence.

SONG: To the Work

Pastor Andrew Ray

Devotions on Diligence