Diligence Part-2 (Studies in Proverbs)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/17/2013 8:57 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  The Diligent PT-2

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Proverbs

            Message of the verses studied:  We will continue to look at diligence in Today’s SD as we will first look at the how the Lord blesses the diligent for their generosity.  “There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.  The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered (Pr. 11:24-25).”  “He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor (Pr. 22:0).”  Let’s now look at the difference between the diligent worker and the one who is slothful.  “25 ¶  The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor. 26  He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not spare (Pr. 21:25-26).”

            One of the huge problems in our country and for that matter around the world is that people do not know how to live within their means, and the same is true with governments around the world too.  Diligent people know how to live within their means and do not get in over their heads finically:  “The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender (Pr. 22:7).”  Dr. Wiersbe writes “While a certain amount of honest debt is expected in today’s world, and everybody wants to achieve a good credit rating, we must be careful not to mistake presumption for faith.  As the familiar adage puts it ‘When your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep is your downfall.”  Too bad our government does not understand this.

            Dr. Wiersbe also writes the following which is something that I believe is very true:  “It’s a dangerous thing for people to become greedy for more and more money and to overextend themselves to acquire it.  Each of us must discover at what financial level God wants us to live and be content with it.  ‘7 ¶  Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: 8  Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, 9  That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God (Pr. 30:7-9).” 

            We must understand that we do not have to have everything that we desire.  We must live within our means.  John Henry Jowett said “The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money.”  What he is saying is that our character is more important than position, and also wisdom more important than possessions.  When we look at the Lord Jesus Christ while upon the earth we find that He was born in a stable, His parents gave the least expensive sacrifice after His birth, He never had a home of His own after leaving His parents home.  All of the needs that He needed were provided for Him from outside sources, (the woman cared for Him financially), and so He is an example of how we are to live.  Jesus said and He also followed His own words “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  I am not saying that Jesus needed to seek righteousness for He is and always has been righteous, but as believer we are to seek this in the same way that Jesus sought to do His Father’s will.

            We will have to pick up on this in the next SD as I am running out of time now.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Not to ever live above my means is something that I need and want to continue to do.  Give more to those who are in need is also something I want to do more of.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Seek first the kingdom of God.

Memory verses for this week:  Psalm 32:1-3

            1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  2 How blessed is the man in whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!  3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 

Turning Points Wisdom for Today:  “Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions.  Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”  (Mark Twain)  “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”  (Romans 14:19)

2/17/2013 9:30 AM