Posted on 08/20/2021 10:53:13 PM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want” (Proverbs 21:5).
“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness,” someone that is not lazy. The diligent man is considering ways to make a profit and make a living and increasing his goods. Hard work is rewarded with a house full of provision. It’s a general truth that can also be applied to the spiritual side of life. A man that is diligent in spiritual things is going to reap spiritual blessings. He will be plentiful in soul-winning, plentiful in joy, and in reaping the things of the spirit.
Set your affections on things above, think on the things—things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report. As Paul wrote: “If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Be diligent about it, and there will be plenty of rewards for you.
Notice it is the “thoughts” of the diligent. Here is a man that thinks the situation through before he acts. He is not hasty in action. Not so of others . . .
“. . . but of every one that is hasty only to want,” one of the condemnations of youth is that young people rarely think before they act, they are impulse buyers of anything that glitters. After the hard lessons of about 30-40 years of reaping their actions before they think, they usually figure out that it is better to think before they act. They get bit by harsh experience a lot less often that way. With experience, most people at least learn that hasty decisions are going to turn out bad and the older a man gets the harder it is to get motivated to do anything.
“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness,” people that are willing to wait on God and wait on the opportunities that He brings their way to invest are blessed. They are diligent about being ready, but they are not hasty about the thing. In other words, this takes some patience, and patience is a very important attribute for a Christian. In fact, Peter calls it a “virtue.” Sometimes it comes the hard way, the Bible says that “tribulation worketh patience” (Romans 5:3).
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2-3). Trials, troubles, and tribulation give us patience and will teach us not to be hasty, and to look before we leap. It will keep us out of a lot of trouble down the road.
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