Great Plains Daily Devotional for 10/10/2020

A strong personal relationship with God can only flourish with relentless diligence to learn from and obey him. Although this task may seem daunting, the reward is more than worth it. “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” – Revelations 2:10

Growing up, my mother had a variety of phrases she would often repeat to us children. Among these included, “Whatever you do, do it diligently, immediately, and cheerfully!” This was usually about my siblings and me cleaning our rooms, but I believe it has a good point to it. To put it succinctly, diligence is important. It is a highly valued factor, deeply incorporated in our everyday lives. We see its value regarding our work, our health, and even our relationships. Something I, and I’m sure lots of Christians especially young Christians, personally struggle with is diligence in our faith.

It’s clear to see God holds physical diligence as a high value. Proverbs 12:27 says: “Diligence is man’s precious possession.” Then in Proverbs 21:5, it goes on to say, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty.” In Ecclesiastes 9:10 Solomon tells us, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” There are lots of other verses that reflect upon physical diligence. More than this, God’s desire for us to be spiritually diligent. Deuteronomy 28:1 reads, “If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, … the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.”

It’s so easy to become lazy with your relationship with Christ. There is always something that seems more pressing or time-sensitive whether it’s with work, school, politics, or whatever you fill your day with. There is no simple fix to this problem; it’s a universal Christian challenge. But something to think about when you face these priority struggles is this: What if you studied and read the Bible as thoroughly as you studied your classes? What if you worked as hard on your relationship with Christ as you worked towards getting a promotion? Diligence is a choice; and a difficult one at that. It requires discipline and self-control. But as you might struggle with this, keep Hebrews 11:6 in mind. It reads, “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
A strong personal relationship with God can only flourish with relentless diligence to learn from and obey him. Although this task may seem daunting, the reward is more than worth it. “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” – Revelations 2:10
   
 

Prayer for Reflection

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Psalm 19
Phillipians 3:4b-14
Matthew 21:33-46