Diligence

“Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight.” (WEB)

2 Peter 3:14

In the movie, “The Professor and the Madman” ¹, one of my favorite scenes occurs when Ada Murray, the wife of linguist, James Murray, delivers a heartfelt plea on behalf of her husband’s working relationship with “the Madman”. They are working on the completion of the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary² in the mid nineteenth century. She begins her plea by using the definition of the word diligence, which, according to Mrs. Murray, appears in that edition of the dictionary.

“Diligence – Constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken. Persistence, application, but also toil and pain.”

I was captivated by this scene. It brought to my heart and mind the diligence required on the part of Jesus, and therefore on the part of every believer, to commit their lives wholly to the pursuit of the Father’s will.

To fully grasp Mrs. Murray’s sincere plea, it would be helpful to either watch the movie or read the book. It is heartbreaking and graphically tragic; The movie reveals the intense efforts of both men, to accomplish their tasks. For one, it is a true devotion and labor of love. For the other, it is a painful labor to keep his mental illness at bay, long enough to complete his part of the task.

For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
    Therefore I have not been confounded.
Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
    and I know that I won’t be disappointed.

Isaiah 50:7 (WEB)

In Isaiah 50:7, the prophet, Isaiah foretells the work that the Lord Jesus will accomplish and the toil and pain that He will endure, to achieve the Father’s perfect will.

Followers of Christ are to diligently submit their life’s purpose to the Lord, which may also include pain and hardship.

Who among you fears Yahweh and obeys the voice of his servant?

He who walks in darkness and has no light, let him trust in Yahweh’s name and rely on his God.

Isaiah 50:10 (WEB)

Am I diligent in following God?

Broken down into each element of the definition, the question becomes more direct.

Am I constant and earnest in all of my efforts to please Him, love Him, and sacrifice anything that He asks of me?

Am I undertaking, with persistence, and proper application the sharing of the Great Commission so that others may know the joy of being a child of God?

Am I willing to endure toil and pain knowing that whatever God allows me to face is never without His knowledge? It is never without a purpose for my good, and it is ultimately for bringing honor where it rightly belongs: to God.

I simply want to encourage you to be able to answer the question for yourself. Am I diligent in my life to God?

One of the best ways for us to grow as believers, is to be diligent in Bible study. I hope you will click on the links below as you have time. Make these passages become a goal for your service to Jesus, the very model of diligence in His obedience and love for the Father and His love and sacrifice for all of mankind. The Bible tells us that” Jesus set His face like flint” on His goal. (Isaiah 50:7)

Proverbs 4:23 1 Timothy 4:15 1 Timothy 4:10 Luke 9:62 2 Peter 1:5 Romans 12:11

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news,

Isaiah 52:7 (WEB)

World English Bible (WEB)

by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.

1. “The Professor and the Madman” 2019 Movie based on the book “1998 book The Surgeon of Crowthorne (published in the United States as The Professor and the Madman) by Simon Winchester. It stars Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Natalie Dormer, Eddie Marsan, Jennifer Ehle, Jeremy Irvine, David O’Hara, Ioan Gruffudd, Stephen Dillane, and Steve Coogan. ↩︎
2. Oxford English Dictionary
   A New Dictionary on Historical Principals
   Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by:
   The Philological Society
   Edited by:
   Dr. James A.H. Murray
   Volume III:
   D
   James A.H. Murray, LLD.
   E
   By Henry Bradley, M.A.
   Clarendon Press
   Oxford
   CA 1887
   First Edition
   Volume III ↩︎