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Daily Bread - September 7, 2026 (The Second Day - Genesis 1:6-8)
Ephesians 4:3 - Giving diligence to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace,
Diligence
Diligence is a word often used in the Bible, and is associated with discipline and focus. It is unfortunate how many may be diligent and focused with respect to academics, business, and athletics, but as soon as the same kind of disciplines are applied to walking with the Lord and doing the things our Heavenly Father has called us to do, it is labeled as “religious.” That ploy should be easily discerned. Being diligent about the things of God is evidence that you are being led by the Holy Spirit and seeking the things which are above instead of that which is earthly (Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:10).
The notion of being zealous and passionate about the gifts and callings of God is embodied in the word ‘diligence’, which may be found in excess of 124 times with more than half of the occurrences existing in the New Testament. Greek words we translate as “diligence” are words like ‘spoudazo,’ ‘spoude,’ and ‘ekzeteo.’ These words are found in the context of Hebrews 11:6, where we are told how the Lord rewards those who diligently seek Him. They are also in 2 Peter 1:5 & 10, where we are exhorted to make our calling and election sure by giving all diligence to the development of the virtues that the Holy Spirit supplies. We can expand the call to diligence even more when we include words like ‘zeto,’ which is a call to passionately run after or seek (Matthew 6:33, 7:7; 1 Corinthians 14:12). At the heart of these words is a hunger and a thirst for all the things Father has freely supplied through Christ Jesus, but will only be fully realized when we seek after them with all that is within us.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
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