Posted on 04/21/2021 11:47:43 PM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men” (Proverbs 22:28-29).
Diligence is one of those things that's kind of like faithfulness. It's not too flashy. It's not going to get a big parade or anything. Nobody gives a diligent man a confetti parade down Times Square, okay? It's not flashy. It's not very ceremonial, but “seest thou a man diligent in his business?” That is a guy that goes about things the right way, at a pace that he can handle, and just stays that way year after year after year. He shall stand before kings.
“He shall not stand before mean men,” now that's not mean men in a sense of always being mean or unkind. It speaks of mean man in the sense of men of lowest state, men of low degree. Men that don't matter, profane, vain men.
The idea is that diligence and faithfulness will get you somewhere that the world hardly recognizes at all. If you will stay faithful for a long time and do right, before you know it you will stand before the King, right? It is there that a diligent, faithful man will hear the words, “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” (Matthew 25:21).
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Remembered the Tears!
Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler once visited Scotland and made diligent search for someone who had known Robert Murray McCheyne. Finally, one elderly man was brought forward.
“Can you tell me,” asked Dr. Cuyler, “some of the texts of McCheyne?”
The elderly man made reply, “I don't remember them.”
“Can. you tell me some sentences that he used?”
The reply was, “I have entirely forgotten them.”
Then asked Dr. Cuyler, “Don't you remember anything about him at all?”
“Ah!” said the man, “that is different question. I do. When was a lad by the wayside playing one day, McCheyne came along and, laying his hand on my head said, 'Jamie, lad, I am away to see your poor sick sister.' Then, looking into my eyes, he added, 'And Jamie, I am very concerned about your own soul.' I have forgotten his texts and his sermons, Dr. Cuyler, but I can still feel the tremble of his hand, and I can still see the tear in his eye.”
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NASB - Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will not stand before common men, he will stand before Kings.
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