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Word of the Day: Proverbs 12:27b

Walk with Jesus

"…the precious possession of a man is diligence."

Solomon – Proverbs 12:27b

By the inspiration of God Himself, Solomon could not have said anything more profound, more timely, and more desperately needed in our culture today. In large measure men have stopped living like men as God intended us to be. Every time I read this verse I immediately think of my dad. There are very few men in my life who has exhibited the concept of diligence as much as he has. When I was a boy every morning (if I woke up early enough) I knew I could look down the stairs and there would be my dad, sitting at the dining room table with an open Bible. Sometimes he'd be praying; other times in the middle of reading; often with pen in hand making notes of what the Lord was saying to him. Rain or shine, summer or winter, prosperity or humility, it did not matter. I knew dad would be there listening to his heavenly Father, his God.

Now my dad is certainly not perfect and like the rest of us, he's not without faults. However, the concept of a disciplined life, of an intentional life; the concept of "diligence" was portrayed to me in living color through him while I was growing up. He lived as God intended a man to live, diligently. As I've asked the Lord to create the same thing in my life and in the lives of our sons, I've discovered a few self deceptions that have often kept me from being a man of 'diligence.'

Probably the biggest one, at least for me, is practically making the distinction between 'good' and 'best'. There are so many things that seem so good that are pressing us for our energy and attention, it's often very difficult to know what to invest our time, talents, and treasures into. Knowing this human difficulty Paul prayed this for the believers in Philippi: "9And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless in the day of Christ." (Philippians 1:9-10) The NIV version translates verse 10 "so that you may be able to discern what is best…"

Dad is a diligent man because the Word of God daily transformed his heart and mind so that he could "discern what is best". Not perfectly to be sure, but little by little, month by month, and year by year he became a man of Godly diligence. Quite frankly, not a one of us, in and of ourselves, as the ability to discern what is best. It's only the Spirit of God transforming our hearts and minds by the Word of God that we can have that level of discernment. To distinguish between all the 'good' things out there and only invest in what's best is a supernatural endeavor.

So how's your discernment level? Are you confident that you're investing in what's best? Or, are you struggling with time pressures, money pressures, craziness of life pressures? Only God by His Spirit through His all powerful, life changing Word (Jesus) can give us the 'best' discernment that leads to life to the fullest.

"Father please forgive me for those days that I've left you on the shelf as if I could handle life on my own. Please give me a hunger & thirst for your Word like never before. Oh God, please make me diligent about being with You in Your Word so that I can live life diligently before You and before others as You transform my mind and heart! Thank You for loving us so much to give us Your living Word to show us Jesus every day! Oh God please make me a diligent man!"

His Kingdom Come,
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