Day 227 – Diligent

Proverbs 26:13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed. 15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. 16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.

• God’s names:
• YAHWEH/JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal
• Elohiym – Supreme God
• Yeshuwa/Iesous – Jesus
• Christos – Anointed One, Messiah
• Kurios – Supreme Authority, Lord

• God’s character:
• Productive

Drive through the streets of your city. What do you see? Homeless people asking for handouts. Many of those homeless are too lazy to fill out an application for work. They would rather beg their way through life than actually earn their way through it. What would the mindset of the person driving through those same streets be if there were homeless people holding signs saying they would work for whatever you can give them to do? Your mindset would change toward the person because they show a willingness to work.

People are lazy. Laziness doesn’t start on the streets with homeless people; it starts in the home. Lazy children who won’t do chores. Spouses who don’t work but rely on their partner to pull their weight. Children who see that their parents don’t work grow up to be irresponsible and looking for others to pay for their way through life.

Solomon saw beggars every day. They sat in the gates of the cities with their alms cups. He called them lazy with excuses for their laziness.

What did YAHWEH Elohiym tell Adam in the Garden of Eden when they sinned?

Genesis 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles will it bring forth for you, and you will eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you will eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you will return.”

YAHWEH told Adam he would work until he died. Elohiym did not tell him He would provide what he needed so he could be lazy. No. Elohiym told him he would work.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Soter and Kurios, did you expect a free ride? Did you expect to go to church, listen to the sermon, then go home and not take part in the work of the church? Did you expect that someone else would fill the spots in the ministry of the church, while you reaped the rewards?

Being a Christian doesn’t work that way. Everyone has work to do for the kingdom of Elohiym.

Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christos, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving Kurios; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

We all have needs, but we also have work to do. We can help each other, that’s what being diligent is — helping, not laziness.

Don’t ask if you’re not willing to work for it. Yeshuwa doesn’t call us to laziness, He calls us to work.

Let’s pray: Father, help me to be diligent in everything You call me to do for You and the body of Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 3 September 2026 by Valerie Routhieaux

May God richly bless the work of your hands.