Diligence

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

Jesus an example of

• Mark 1:35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.
• Luke 2:49 “Why were you looking for Me?” He asked. “Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

Required by God in seeking him

• 1 Chronicles 22:19 Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Begin building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.”
• Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Obeying him

• Deuteronomy 6:17 You are to diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and the testimonies and statutes He has given you.
• Deuteronomy 11:13 So if you carefully obey the commandments I am giving you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,

Listening to him

• Isaiah 55:2 Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

Striving after perfection

• Philippians 3:13–14 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

Cultivating proper behaviors of a true Christian

• 2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;

Keeping the soul

• Deuteronomy 4:9 Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.

Keeping the heart

• Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

Labors of love

• Hebrews 6:10–12 For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate…

Following every good work

• 1 Timothy 3:10 Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons.

Guarding against defilement

• Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.

Seeking to be found spotless

• 2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace— spotless and blameless in His sight.

Making our calling sure

• 2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,

Self-examination

• Psalm 77:6 At night I remembered my song; in my heart I mused, and my spirit pondered:

Lawful business

• Proverbs 27:23 Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds;
• Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

Preserving "the faith" through teaching

• 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.
• 2 Timothy 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.

Instructing children

• Deuteronomy 6:7 And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
• Deuteronomy 11:19 Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Discharging official duties

• Deuteronomy 19:18 The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

Saints should abound in

• 2 Corinthians 8:7 But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Required in the service of God

• John 9:4 While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
• Galatians 6:9 Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Is not in vain

• 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Preserves from evil

• Exodus 15:26 saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

Leads to assured hope

• Hebrews 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

God rewards

• Deuteronomy 11:14 then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil.
• Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

In temporal matters leads to favor

• Proverbs 11:27 He who searches out good finds favor, but evil will come to him who seeks it.

Prosperity

• Proverbs 10:4 Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
• Proverbs 13:4 The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.

Honor

• Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.
• Proverbs 22:29 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

Figurative

• Proverbs 6:6–8 Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.

Exemplified

Ruth

• Ruth 2:17 So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. And when she beat out what she had gleaned, it was about an ephah of barley.

Hezekiah

• 2 Chronicles 31:21 He acted with all his heart in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.

Nehemiah and his helpers

• Nehemiah 4:6 So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Psalmist

• Psalm 119:60 I hurried without hesitating to keep Your commandments.

Apostles

• Acts 5:42 Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Apollos

• Acts 18:25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and was fervent in spirit. He spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Titus

• 2 Corinthians 8:22 And we are sending along with them our brother who has proven his earnestness to us many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.

Paul

• 1 Thessalonians 2:9 Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

Onesiphorus

• 2 Timothy 1:17 Indeed, when he arrived in Rome, he searched diligently until he found me.

See Industry

See Zeal

See Idleness

See Slothfulness