Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Monday, July 15, 2013

"Do you see a man diligent in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men."¹

When singer John Davidson was learning to drive, he wanted a car of his own. His father, a Baptist minister, told him he could have a car providing he got good grades at school, read his Bible more, and got his hair cut shorter.

"On my next report card," John said, "I got all B's and told my dad I had been reading the Bible. He said that was fine, but how about the haircut? 'Well,' I told him, 'in reading the Bible I found that Jesus had long hair.'"

"My father agreed and said, 'Yes, but he also walked everywhere.'"

There seems to be something about human nature in that many of us want as much as we can get for as little effort as possible. However, we only truly appreciate that which we work for. The reality of life is that there are no free lunches.

I tried to instill in my sons the belief that they can pretty much do what they want with their life and accomplish what they desire providing they are willing to adequately prepare themselves for what they want to do and work hard enough to achieve it. As Solomon put it, "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."²

As another has said, "Everybody is self-made. Usually only the successful will admit it!"

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to become the person you want me to be and diligently do all that you would have me to do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Proverbs 22:29.
2. Proverbs 13:4 (NIV).

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