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 10:4He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
See All...; Proverbs 13:4The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
See All...; Proverbs 21:5The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
See All...) and promotion (Proverbs 12:24The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
See All...; Proverbs 22:29Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
See All...). 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 15:3The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
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• (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 9:10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
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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.

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It Pays to Serve Jesus

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