Take It to the Lord - Ecclesiastes #18
Ecclesiastes 5:1-3
1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw
near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not
know that they do evil.
2 Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart
utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in
heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your
words be few.
3 For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool’s
voice is known by his many words.
Jesus reveals
a provoking parable about two men who approached God in prayer (recorded in
Luke 18:9-14). One, a Pharisee, boisterously “thanks” God for not being like men
beneath him (especially the tax collector in the temple with him). The tax
collector’s prayer sounds considerably different: a repentant, desperate cry
for mercy. Christ obviously points out who returned to his house truly justified.
When it
comes to worshipping the Lord, we better not be taking it lightly. We must be
careful about how we conduct ourselves in church, at home, and everywhere else;
the Lord is everywhere we go, and it matters how we act. Our words and
conversations also matter, especially in prayer. Why do we care to speak rash, empty
words, often trying to tell God how best to meet our needs? We know that He
knows far better than we can imagine!
God wants to
hear our prayers, but be thoughtful, “Let your words be few,” meditate on the
Scriptures, and dwell on His will for your life rather than your plans. Before
you come to Him with a need, think about who He is and what He can do,
especially concerning your needs. He’s our Provider, our Healer, our Sustainer,
our All in All! Also, remember what 1
John 1:9 says about who He is – “If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.”
If you
have a hard time praying, my suggestion: go to Psalm 120. Read that psalm, and
use the words to help you form your prayer to the Lord. (FYI: Meshech and the
tents of Kedar are foreign to Israel, used in verse 5 as simply living among
pagans and haters of God’s peace. We all figuratively “dwell in Meshech”). Continue
to Psalm 121 through 134 and beyond. Specifically, these psalms were sung and
prayed by the Hebrews when they travelled to the temple for the feasts. These
psalms act as faithful guides, helping us to dwell on God’s will for us, our
families, and this world.
In Christ Alone,
Dan
Comments
Post a Comment