LIVING IT OUT · THE WALK WITH GOD — CRAWL, WALK, RUN, FINISH
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Diligence — Living It Out — Bible Study
LIVING IT OUT · THE WALK WITH GOD — CRAWL, WALK, RUN, FINISH
Diligence — Foundational Biblical Doctrine
OPENING WORD
Diligence is a walk before it is a burst of energy. A child does not learn diligence in a day: first he crawls toward what he wants; then he is taught to keep it and carry it day by day; then he grows, and he runs, and the running becomes work, and the work becomes a war worth winning; then he crosses a line, and at the line there is a reward. The Greek word for diligence is spoude (G4710, diligence) — speed, earnest care, haste that will not wait until tomorrow. The Hebrew word for the diligent man is charuts (H2742, diligent) — sharp, decided, and the very word for fine gold, because gold is not found lying in the open; it is dug for. This study carries diligence through the whole course of a person's life: how it is first found, low and seeking; how it is kept once it is found; how it is put to work and to war; and how it ends, at a line where the entrance is opened wide and the word of the Lord stands forever. Search it out.
THREE QUESTIONS THIS STUDY ANSWERS:
1. Where is diligence found, and how does a person first come to it?
2. What should a person do with diligence once it is found, and how is it kept day by day?
3. How does the race end — what is given at the line, and what word remains forever?
(My personal thoughts — see how the Greek and Hebrew agree from two different directions. Spoude (G4710, diligence) means speed — the feet moving. Charuts (H2742, diligent) means sharp and dug-for, like gold pulled out of the ground. One tongue says diligence moves; the other says diligence digs. Put them together: diligence is a moving that does not stop until it has dug out what it sought.)
1. CRAWLING — HOW TO FIND IT
(My personal thoughts — every walk begins low. No one is born already diligent; the thing must first be found, sought, and desired before it can be walked in. These witnesses show a person low to the ground, reaching — and God near enough to be found by the one who seeks him.)
Tap Bible Speaks under any verse for its word study, other Scripture, and notes.
1.Hebrews 11:6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
4.Psalm 63:1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
EARLY WILL I SEEK THEE --> MY SOUL THIRSTETH FOR THEE.
5.Isaiah 26:9With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
YE SHALL SEEK ME, AND FIND ME --> WHEN YE SHALL SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART.
10.Proverbs 3:13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. (14) For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
(My personal thoughts — the valley of decision is the valley of charuts (H2742, diligent), the very word for diligent. The one who never crawls toward God is not a person who decided against him; he is a person who never decided at all. To begin to be diligent is to decide. Gold is dug for; wisdom is sought early; God is found by the one who seeks with the whole heart. Begin low, begin small, and begin.)
2. WALKING — WHAT TO DO WITH IT ONCE YOU HAVE IT
(My personal thoughts — once diligence is found, it must be kept, or it will be lost the same day it was found. These witnesses show the daily keeping: a heart guarded, a word taught to children, a hand that does not stop working. Diligence is not stored in a chest; it is walked in, day by day.)
1.Proverbs 4:23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
LOVE THE LORD THY GOD --> WITH ALL THINE HEART + ALL THY SOUL + ALL THY MIGHT.
3.Deuteronomy 6:7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
YE SHALL DILIGENTLY KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.
5.Deuteronomy 11:13And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
HEARKEN DILIGENTLY --> LOVE + SERVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL.
6.Joshua 22:5But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
WITH MY WHOLE HEART HAVE I SOUGHT THEE --> LET ME NOT WANDER FROM THY COMMANDMENTS.
10.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.
LOVE NOT SLEEP, LEST THOU COME TO POVERTY --> OPEN THINE EYES, AND THOU SHALT BE SATISFIED WITH BREAD.
(My personal thoughts — the walk asks for the whole person: heart, soul, might. It is taught to children while sitting, while walking, while lying down, while rising up — there is no hour it is not being kept. And whatever the hand finds to do is to be done with the whole strength, as to the Lord and not to people. Walk like that, and you are ready to run.)
3. RUNNING THE RACE — YIELD IT LIKE A SOLDIER IN GOD'S ARMY
(My personal thoughts — the walk becomes a race, and the race becomes a war. A person who has been diligent to seek and diligent to keep is now diligent to work and to fight — following after the same word rendered "add to your faith," now added by hands that labor and do not grow weary.)
1.2 Peter 1:5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
GIVING ALL DILIGENCE --> ADD TO YOUR FAITH VIRTUE.
2.1 Corinthians 15:58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
LET US NOT BE WEARY IN WELL DOING --> IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP, IF WE FAINT NOT.
4.1 Timothy 6:12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD --> THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND.
8.2 Corinthians 7:11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
GODLY SORROW --> WHAT CAREFULNESS IT WROUGHT IN YOU + WHAT ZEAL.
9.2 Corinthians 8:7Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
GOD PUT THE SAME EARNEST CARE INTO THE HEART OF TITUS.
11.2 Corinthians 8:22And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.
OFTENTIMES PROVED DILIGENT --> NOW MUCH MORE DILIGENT.
12.2 Timothy 1:17But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
HE SOUGHT ME OUT VERY DILIGENTLY, AND FOUND ME.
13.Acts 17:11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
RECEIVED THE WORD WITH ALL READINESS OF MIND --> SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY.
14.Luke 15:8Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
LIGHT A CANDLE + SWEEP THE HOUSE --> SEEK DILIGENTLY TILL SHE FIND IT.
(My personal thoughts — count the cost of this stage, and do not be surprised by it: 2 Timothy 3:12 says all who will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution — not some, and not maybe. A soldier travels light and does not get tangled in the affairs of this life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him. The woman with the lost coin does not stop sweeping halfway; she seeks diligently until she finds it. Diligence never stops at almost.)
4. THE FINISH LINE — DILIGENCE ABIDETH FOR EVER
(My personal thoughts — every race has an end, and the end is not a wall; it is a line, and past the line stands a reward. Hear Paul near his own finish: ready to be poured out, the course finished, the faith kept — and see what is laid up for every person who loves that same finish, not for one runner only.)
1.Acts 20:24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
WATCH THOU IN ALL THINGS + ENDURE AFFLICTIONS --> MAKE FULL PROOF OF THY MINISTRY.
(My personal thoughts — this is the cost that diligence does not hide from: watching, enduring, laboring, until the ministry given is fully carried out. Diligence that will not endure affliction has not yet reached the finish line; it has only started the race.)
3.James 1:12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT ENDURETH TEMPTATION --> HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE.
4.Revelation 2:10Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH --> I WILL GIVE THEE A CROWN OF LIFE.
5.2 Timothy 4:18And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
OF THE LORD YE SHALL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF THE INHERITANCE --> FOR YE SERVE THE LORD CHRIST.
8.Matthew 25:21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT --> ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD.
9.Isaiah 55:11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
MY WORD SHALL NOT RETURN VOID --> IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH + IT SHALL PROSPER.
10.Psalm 90:17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
LET THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD OUR GOD BE UPON US --> ESTABLISH THOU THE WORK OF OUR HANDS.
(My personal thoughts — the crown is not for one runner. Not to Paul only, but to all who love his appearing, and to all who are found faithful over a few things. And notice the last word standing over the whole course: the word that goes out of God's mouth does not return void; it accomplishes, it prospers. What a person plants with diligence, God establishes. That is the whole hope of this race: the work of your hands does not fall to the ground; the Lord himself makes it stand.)
MOUTH OF TWO
Nehemiah 4:6So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
BE YE STRONG, AND LET NOT YOUR HANDS BE WEAK --> YOUR WORK SHALL BE REWARDED.
Haggai 1:14And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel... and the spirit of Joshua... and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
THE LORD STIRRED UP THE SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE --> THEY CAME AND DID WORK IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.
(My personal thoughts — in the mouth of two witnesses a matter is established, and here a third confirms it. Nehemiah's people had a mind to work, and the wall was joined together. The chronicler says plainly, your work shall be rewarded. Haggai says the LORD himself stirred up the spirit of the people so that they came and worked. Three books, one pattern: God stirs the will, and the diligent hand builds.)
THE SHADOW AND THE FULFILLMENT
The light has shown the body: the Old Testament picture was real, but it was not the whole image; the New Testament shows what it was pointing to all along (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1).
11.Exodus 16:4Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
THE PEOPLE SHALL GO OUT AND GATHER A CERTAIN RATE EVERY DAY --> THAT I MAY PROVE THEM.
12.John 6:27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
LABOUR NOT FOR THE MEAT WHICH PERISHETH --> BUT FOR THAT MEAT WHICH ENDURETH UNTO EVERLASTING LIFE.
(My personal thoughts — the shadow is a daily gathering: bread that had to be sought fresh every morning, and could not be hoarded. The fulfillment is a daily labor too, but now aimed at a bread that never spoils: the meat that endures to everlasting life, given by the Son of man. Diligence in the wilderness gathered a certain rate every day; diligence in Christ labors for what does not perish. The pattern is the same hand, reaching daily, taught at last what bread is really worth reaching for.)
CLOSING
Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
IF ANY MAN'S WORK ABIDE --> HE SHALL RECEIVE A REWARD.
(My personal thoughts — gather the whole way home. First the crawling: diligence is not born full-grown; it is found by the one who seeks early and seeks with the whole heart. Then the walking: the heart is kept, the word is taught to children at every hour, the hand does whatever it finds to do with its whole strength. Then the race and the war: add virtue to faith, put on the whole armour, endure hardness as a good soldier, seek diligently until you find. Then the line: the course finished, the ministry fully proved, the crown of life given — not to one runner, but to all who love him and are found faithful. The One who began this good work in you will carry it through until the day of Jesus Christ. Walk on.)
GREEK KEYWORDS
These are the keywords for this study. Tap any dotted word in the verses above to see its meaning here.
6. Galatians 6:9 — let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season:
a) we shall reap, if we faint not
b) our labour is not in vain
c) we shall receive a crown
7. Revelation 2:10 — be thou faithful unto death, and:
a) thou shalt never fall
b) I will give thee a crown of life
c) an entrance shall be ministered unto thee
ANSWER KEY: 1-c, 2-a, 3-b, 4-b, 5-b, 6-a, 7-b
HOW THIS STUDY BRANCHES
--> How the shadow brings light: the daily gathering of bread in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4) opens onto the whole doctrine of the bread of life, given once for all yet gathered daily by faith (John 6:27-35) — ready for its own study.
--> How the new covenant expounds it: to Israel it was said, diligently keep the commandments (Deuteronomy 6:17); in Christ it is said, giving all diligence, add to your faith (2 Peter 1:5) — what was commanded upon tables of stone is now added upon a living faith.
--> How the words matter: charuts (H2742, diligent) is one word for the diligent man, for fine gold, and for the valley of decision — mark which sense stands in which place, and why.
--> How this applies to you: whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10); keep your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23); seek him early (Psalm 63:1). The walk begins today, low to the ground, and it is entered today.
--> What this means for eternity: he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6); every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour (1 Corinthians 3:8).
--> Rabbit trail: "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do" (Philippians 2:13) — God's own working and a person's own diligence held together in one verse; never one without the other. Search it out.
