A House Divided
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 19 – 23 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 23 – 24; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)
Scripture Memory for July – John 3:1 – 21
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –Micah 6:8
“And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Isaiah 19:2)
“And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3;25)
As we read through this portion of the Book of Isaiah, we see that God is pronouncing judgment on all of the nations that have been enemies to God and His people Israel. In chapter 19, we see that God is dealing specifically with the Egyptians. The Egyptians had been an enemy to the people of God throughout much of their history. Perhaps, they were not as bad as some; yet still God states here that some judgment is coming.
My thought for this morning surrounds verse 2. Part of the judgment that was going to come to Egypt was a battle from within its own borders; a fight among its own inhabitants; a civil war. Our nation faced this same type of conflict 150 years ago. It was perhaps the ugliest battle America would ever face: neighbor against neighbor; brother against brother. We found that it was impossible for the nation to move forward until its inner struggle was settled.
I have noticed that we oftentimes face a similar type of judgment in our families and in our church: a division on the inside; a battle, not with an invading army, but with an injured brother. When a church moves away from fighting the external battle against the world and the devil, it then begins to fight amongst itself. It seems that by nature we are fighters; and to some degree we ought to be. We ought to fight against the sin and darkness of this world; we ought to hate the devil; and we ought to be striving together in order to bring the gospel to the people around us. Oftentimes we forget who the real enemy is and we take up arms against each other. Satan is very wise and understands that if he can get us to destroy each other, he won’t have to destroy us himself.
We see that this problem is also prevalent inside the home. Parents are not always in one accord, but are often at odds with one another. They fight about finances, about child-rearing, and about alot of other things. All of this division is rooted in pride, with each individual insisting on getting his and her own way. Shame on us.
The cure for this problem is simply to recognize the battle is not within, but without. When we get busy fighting for the Lord, we will not have time nor desire to fight each other.
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Do You Need An “I” Exam?
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 14 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 21 – 22; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)
Scripture Memory for July – John 3:1 – 21
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –Isaiah 51:11
Read “10 Ways To Prepare Your Children For A Great School Year” by Pastor Chappell
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I willascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” – (Isaiah 14:12-14)
Five times in this passage, we see Lucifer (Satan) using the phrase “I will”. Did you ever notice how much we use the word “I”. We, like Satan, are full of ourselves. Satan fell because of his pride, and most of us have the same problem. We would never admit it, but we are really the “god” of our own lives. We worship ourselves, and though we won’t admit, we are really not much different than Satan, when it comes to pride. It is natural to exalt ourselves, and it is very diffficult to be humble; but humility is required for us to surrender to Christ. In order to be saved, we need to humble ourselves, and in order to live the spirit filled life, we must continually abase ourselves and lift up Christ. Easier said than done.
Lately, we have been bombarded with news of great men who have fallen into sin. It both grieves me, and scares me because I know that it could be me. I am sure, however, that pride is a root factor in all of these moral failures that we are hearing about. I think if we were to be able to examine each individual case carefully in retrospect, we would be able to recognize a pattern of pride. A Biblical example of someone falling due to pride is what happened to King Saul. He was at one time “little in his own eyes”, but God elevated him in the eyes of men. He enjoyed the praise and respect of men, and began to believe all of the nice things that people were saying about him, and all of the attention that he was getting. Somewhere along the line, he probably started to think that he somehow deserved the credit that he was getting. He gradually began to steal a little of the glory that rightly belonged only to God. He then started to operate independently of God, doing his own thing instead of obeying what God commanded. He also became threatened and insecure when anybody else received any praise. Eventually, he fell.
David fell also. He became too important to fight with the rest of his army, so he stayed home. He saw a woman that belonged to another man, but because he was the king, he felt that he was entitled to take her. He then tried to cover up his sin with the murder of her husband, and he was sure that he would get away with it. After all, he was a big and powerful man. Who would dare question King David? He though that he could do whatever he wanted. He wasn’t under any authority, not even God. What a shame.
Unfortunately, we see this all too often in the ministry, as well. As God begins to allow us to see some success in our ministries, we must remember that it is He that worked through us. We have no right to think that we are deserving of praise. To God be all the glory. Watch out for pride. Stay “little” in your own eyes, and don’t allow people to exalt you. Deflect all praise to the Lord for He alone is worthy.
“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” – (Psalm 34:3)
“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” – (Luke 14:11)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” – (Proverbs 16:18)
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Who Turned Out The Light?
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 9 – 13 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 19 – 20; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)
Scripture Memory for July – John 3:1 – 21
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –Isaiah 40:31
Note – this is a repost from 2010, but there is another post that immediately follows this one that was written this morning.
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2)
The verse of Scripture referenced above deals with the birth of Christ. When Christ was born in the earth, he poked a huge hole in the darkness of a world that had been without light for a long time. Christ is light, and light equals righteousness and holiness; and it is also synonymous with spiritual understanding. The Bible says of God:
“Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:”(Psalm 104:2)
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Light is not something that God has or something that God can produce; it is what He is. Peter, James, and John saw a glimpse of this light on the Mount of Transfiguration. John saw it again when he was on the Isle of Patmos and given theRevelation. Paul saw this light on the road to Damascus when the Lord gloriously saved him. All of these examples were actual physical manifestations of the light of God. However, when He came, He revealed to the world more than just Physical light: he delivered to the world a spiritual brightness that many had seen and received; and many more continue to receive to this day.
My thought for the day is: if Christ came and delivered this light to us 2000 years ago, and many millions have received this light from Him via the Holy Spirit; then why is this world still very dark. Jesus told us to shine the light to the dark world around us:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
You would think with all of the millions of lights out there that should be shining, the world would be pretty bright; yet it continues to dwell in darkness. Why? Because God’s people are not allowing the light of Christ to radiate and reflect through them to the world around them. They are covering their candles with a bushel instead of elevating it on a candlestick. Three thoughts regarding the failure of the Christian to shine the light of Christ:
1 We fail to shine the light when we fail to separate from the darkness. Instead of increasing our light, we often participate in things that are very dark: things that are inconsistent with light. Light repels darkness; they cannot dwell together. So in order for the Christian to dwell in darkness, He has to douse His light. He has to quench the Spirit of God that dwells within Him.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)
By the way, unfortunately, the verse above oftentimes applies to the Christian as well as to the world.
2 We fail to shine the light when we fail to saturate ourselves in the light of the Word of God.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130)
3 We fail to shine the light when we shield the light from reaching those around us. This has more to do with fear than anything else. We have the light, and we desire to shine it; but we are so intimidated by the world around us that we conceal it. It is time that we decide to take a stand, and decide once and for all whose side we are on. We belong to God. We owe this world nothing but the light of Christ. Get out of the way, and let His light shine through you.
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” (Philippians 2:15)
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His Rest Shall Be Glorious
“And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” – (Isaiah 11:10)
If you haven’t done so already, I would encourage you to read all of Isaiah 11. This is the passage of Scripture that really caught my attention this morning, but I thought the truth from the first post, which was originally published in 2010, would be more helpful.
Thr rest that the title infers has to do with the Millenial Kingdom, which will be established on the earth after the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a wonderful time of peace and prosperity, and the earth at that time will have some similarities to the original creation of God in the Garden of Eden. Even the animals, which hunted and killed each other, will be like they were originally created, and will be vegetarians rather than meat eaters. It seems that even though the presence of sin will still be there, it will be under much greater control. Sin will not be irradicated, however, until we are in the new Heaven and the new earth, which does not take place until after the Millenium.
I look forward to the Millenial Kingdom. I also look forward to the New Jerusalem. Recently, I became convicted about the fact that are homes should be a reflection now of what life will be like then. Our homes should be little pictures of Heaven: a place where there is “nothing that offends”; a place where there is no strife; a place where the Word of God is preeminent, and the God of the Word is glorified. Our family started a new practice just this past Sunday that, hopefully, we will be faithful to continue. What we are doing is this: we are carving out the hours between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoons. We will enjoy a special meal together that is prepared on Saturday, so it just has to be heated up on Sunday. We are shutting off the T.V., as well as the computers and smart phones. I will not be working on Sunday night’s message. It will be a time where family, and a few close friends, are gathered together, enjoying the goodness of God, as well as each other’s fellowship. For those three hours, we will be resting, and relaxing. Perhaps, we will all take a walk together; perhaps, we will do nothing; but hopefully it will be something that we look forward to every week, just as we look forward to going home to Heaven.
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Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 5 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 17 – 18; Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 31)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –Proverbs 27:15
Watch – “Developing a Spiritual Family in the Midst of a Fervent Ministry” by Pastor Chappell
THE STUDY OF WOMEN IN THE BIBLE
Rebekah, From Triumph To Failure
“And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.” (Genesis 24: 10-19)
“And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.” (Genesis 27:5-10)
Rebekah was a hard worker with a kind spirit, excited about doing God’s will. Her day started like most of ours: she got up, got dressed, and went to work; but this day was different. While at work she met a man. She served him by giving him and his camels water. Rebekah was friendly and invited him to meet her family. There was no thought when she said yes to the question “Will you go with this man?” This was a great step of faith. She would leave her family to go into an unfamiliar land to marry someone she never met, but she was willing. She loved and served Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah served the Lord together, and later Esau and Jacob were born. In chapter Genesis 27, the Bible tells us that Rebekah loved Jacob more than Esau. This may have been because Isaac favored Esau. I only had one child, so I don’t fully understand sharing love between two children. However, I’ve seen the results of parents showing favor towards one child. This was Rebekah’s downfall. What was it that turned the heart of Rebekah from a kind spirited servant of God, to a deceiver? The Bible doesn’t say, but we all know who’s behind all evil.
Rebekah’s life is much like the Christian life. We are out and about doing our daily routine, when we meet someone who asks the question “Will you go with this man (Jesus)?” We willingly say yes and accept the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, and begin to serve Him. We work by serving others in church and in the community and are excited about it. We lose the old man and start allowing the “New Spirit” to take control. We do things and go places where we’ve never been before. We invite strangers into our lives to help them find their way to the Lord. But as we get on in our Christian lives, like Rebekah, we allow Satan to creep in. We love the Lord but we really like the way of the world. We are divided. Be careful not to make bad decisions when stepping towards the world. I pray that if you find yourself in Rebekah’s shoes, that you will turn your attention back towards the Lord. Remember, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
“My eyes are dry, my faith is old, my heart is hard, my prayers are cold. And I know how I should be, alive to you and dead to me. But what can be done, for an old heart like mine, to soften it up with oil and wine. The oil is You, Your Spirit of love, please wash me a new, in the wine of your blood.”
A Song By: Keith Green
Thank You 1 John 5:13
Posted in Guest Posts, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Where Are The Men?
Listen to the message preached by Issan Acosta on Wednesday Night – “Learn To Look Up”
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 15 – 16; Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 30)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –Proverbs 3:5 & 6
Listen to the Clark Family sing “A Few Good Men”
“As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” (Isaiah 3:12)
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” – (1 Corinthians 16:13)
“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” – (Ezekiel 22:30)
Isaiah is writing at a time when the people of Israel and Judah were in economic prosperity but spiritual and moral depravity. The end of chapter 3 records that the people were very proud, they were full with possessions and pleasure; but they were far away from God. God warns them through the writing of Isaiah that judgment will come. It is important to keep in mind as we read this Book of Isaiah that God is often dealing with the present condition of Israel and Judah 800 years or so before the time of Christ; but he also speaks prophetically regarding Israel and others in the last days. He speaks much about the future Millennial Kingdom of Christ. Here in chapter 3, He is specifically speaking of Israel; but the application can be made to us today.
The condition of our nation is very similar to Israel and Judah prior to the judgment that came through the nation of Assyria, and later Babylon. We are a very proud and prosperous people. This prideful attitude permeates our society. We scream out with our lives that we don’t need God; and we certainly aren’t going to submit to Him. Notice in the verse above that the women are ruling. I don’t think that this is a slap against women as much as it is a statement that the men were not fulfilling their God given roles as leaders. We have the same problems in our society today. The men are abdicating their responsibility as the leaders in the homes, and in the nation. Our churches are also full of women that will volunteer for anything; but where are the men? Why are their so few men who will take on the responsibility of leadership?
We need men that will lead their families. So many homes today are without fathers. Statistics have shown this to be absolutely devastating to the lives of the children. We need some strong men who will be leaders in our communities, and in this nation. We need men who will lead, teach, and mentor in our churches. I praise the Lord for the woman who have stood in the gap and taken on some leadership positions. Many of these ladies are doing a great job; but we need men to step up to the plate and assume the responsibilities intended to them by God.
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Without Spot
Today’s Passage – Song of Solomon 5 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 13 – 14; Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 29)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –Psalm 121
Read “No More Excuses” by Dr. Rick Flanders
“How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!” – (Song of Solomon 7:6)
“Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” (Song of Solomon 4:7)
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2)
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”(Ephesians 5:27)
The Song of Solomon is a beautiful song written through the pen of Solomon. On the surface it would seem that this song represents a dialogue between Solomon and his wife; but considering he had 1000 wives and concubines, we would certainly be left wondering which wife this song refers to. This song then must go much deeper than any earthly relationship. I believe that the intimate relationship so beautifully detailed here is the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. Keeping that in mind, consider the little phrase in chapter 4 where the bridegroom says of the bride, there is no spot in thee. This is an amazing statement, because in reality there certainly are many flaws in any person; but the amazing thing is that this Man sees no flaw at all in His bride.
When I think about the unconditional love that Christ has for His Church (the Bride), and me in particular, I am blown away. How can he possibly love me? When I think about how spotted and flawed I am, I recognize my complete and total unworthiness. The only thing that I deserve is judgment: yet He loves me; and more than that: He does not see any flaw in me at all. Mind boggling! I guess that is what Romans 3:22 meant when it said that believers receive the righteousness of God. He sees me as completely righteous; flawless. Amazing!
God has given me two practical thoughts this morning while I contemplated this passage:
1 Do I appreciate Him – I know I am totally undeserving, yet He treats as if I am. This should cause me to live my life in surrender to whatever He wants from me. This should completely humble me. The Bible tells us that the love of Christ constrains us. I have often thought that was speaking about our love for Him, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that it is His love for us that constrains us.
2 Do I appreciate others – If I am undeserving, yet accepted unconditionally; why then do I have such a hard time unconditionally accepting others, especially those that are a part of His bride as I am? Why do I see everyone else’s flaws. Should not I try to see others as Christ sees me?
Posted in Thoughts from Song of Solomon by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Decisions – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning! This week we went camping again. It was in the driveway of Evangelist Joe Kieser’s house. We were there for the Northeast Vision Summit at Solid Rock Baptist Church, in Berlin, NJ. We got to see many old friends, and some new ones. My job schedule only allowed me to be there Wednesday night and all day Thursday. Camille got to see David Gibbs. He is such a great story-teller. We also got to see and hear Pastors Doug Fisher, Jack Trieber, and Paul Chappel from California. Bruce Frye was also there to sing for us.
On Wednesday night, Bruce Frye sang a song about a boy’s love for his unsaved father. The dad was hidden behind a newspaper, his son behind a box of Cheri-o’s, and the mom wanted to go to church. The dad said he wasn’t going, that he would end up in the place were people like him go (hell). The mom asked the son to go, and the son told the mom, no, he wanted to go where his daddy was going, because he loved his daddy.
I had to praise the Lord for that song because I was faced with a similar situation in 1984. We had just moved into our first house in the Birchwood Park section of Brick Township, NJ. Our daughter Melissa was at the playground when she was approached by a woman out visiting on her bus route. Jackie Ferrara invited Melissa to go to church on Sunday. She followed my wife and daughter to our house, and told them about the church. Just to give you a little insight into my life, I was raised Pentecostal, my wife was Roman Catholic. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum! I get home from work and Camille says, “Guess where we’re going Sunday.”
“Where?”, I asked.
“To church!”
“Church? What church?”
“Ocean County Baptist Temple. It’s in Toms River.”
“Baptist! That’s hell-fire, damnation stuff!”
What should I do? We had never been to church as a family. Well, it was a church, and we got a free bus ride. We went. This was the first time I heard the Bible preached and taught clearly as it should be taught.
But, what if I had said no, I’m not going? Would that have kept my wife and daughter from going? Would I have been a dis-courager instead of an en-courager? I have to praise the Lord for helping me make the right decision to go.
How do we love and care for our families? I think about what Job did.
“And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.” (Job 1:5)
Jesus sacrificed His life for us. Shouldn’t we show that same love for our family? Doesn’t the Bible tell us in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it…”
The only thing that could possibly get in our way is pride.
By the way, the song had a happy ending: they all went to church and the dad got saved.
(P.S. If anyone knows the title of this song, and/or the name of the album, let me know: I’d like to hear it again. Thanks and..)
Peace. (Mark 9:50)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Sharpen Your Ax
Today’s Passage – Ecclesiastes 9 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 9 – 10; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105
“If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.” – (Ecclesiastes 10:10)
I have been enjoying this devotional reading of the Book of Ecclesiastes as there are so many nuggets of truth. I actually had a hard time deciding what to post this this morning. I had considered doing something on Ecclesiastes 9:11, or 10:1. A couple of years back, I wrote “The Bottom Line”, from chapter 12. The verse above, however, is one of the most helpful truths in the Bible for me. You see, I am not the sharpest ax in the shed, and I need to be sharpened constantly in order to do what God has called me to do.
Solomon says that if a man does not “whet the edge”, he will have to add a little strength in order to be able to accomplish the goal. Whetting (or sharpening) the edge allowed the blade to penetrate deeper into the wood with less strength. It helps accomplish the goal without as much effort. Solomon is using this illustration to teach us about life. At the end of the verse he says that wisdom is profitable to direct. Acquiring wisdom is like sharpening the axe or whetting the edge. It will help you do the job with less difficulty.
God has given us a lot of things to do in life. In order to accomplish the things that the Lord has for us, we will need to acquire some wisdom. Wisdom makes us more proficient and helps us to accomplish the tasks at hand. God says that He will give us the wisdom that we need if we simply ask for it in faith.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” – (James 1:5)
We can get God’s wisdom from the Word of God; through prayer; and from the counsel of those who are wise.
I do not think that God is minimizing, or belittling the value of hard work, either. There are a lot of things that I find myself doing where I am perhaps not as wise as someone else. In these situations I will have to work a little harder than that person, but I can still accomplish the goal. However, if I am going to be the best that I can be at all that God has given me to do. I will need to ask for wisdom. I need His wisdom to be a good husband and father. I need wisdom in order to pastor the people of God at the church. I need wisdom for every task that I perform, and so do you. Work hard, but if you want to get the most out of each swing, you will want to sharpen your axe.
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We Talk Too Much
Today’s Passage – Ecclesiastes 5 – 8
(Second Milers also read – Luke 7 – 8; Psalms 121 – 125; Proverbs 26)
“Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.” – (Ecclesiastes 5:1-3)
We did not have to read long this morning to find a very simple and practical truth from the Word of God. The verses above deal with our words, but particularly in the context of the words that we say in the house of God. Notice the Scripture is clear that we are to be more ready to hear than to hear than to speak, especially when it comes to speaking to God. I think the next few verses (vs. 4 – 7) shed a little bit more light on the context of this passage. We need to be very careful about the things that we vow to God. Last year’s post – “Promises, Promises” – dealt specifically with the subject of vows.
This morning, however, I want to think more about the tendency that we have to alk too much. There are so many verses in the Scripture that teach us regarding the use of our words. I will not take the time to list all of them here. I am sure that most us are pretty familiar with them, anyway. But I do want us to be challenged to be careful about what we say. Much of what comes out of our mouths is useless drivel, not really profitable for anything. I am not saying that there is not a place for small talk and pleasantries; but I do thing more thought should be given to what we say.
Here are some things that we should think about before we open our mouths:
1 Will it be profitable to those we are addressing, building them up?
2 Will it glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, or are we attempting to lift up ourselves? I find that many of us like to talk about ourselves, and say things that make ourselves look good.
3 Will it hurt those that we are speaking too? I understand that we need to speak the truth in love, but our motivation ought not be to hurt people, but rather to help them.
There are many things that I would like to say regarding this, but it would be a violation of the principle. Let the Word of God speak for itself, and let our words be few, unless we are sure that we are actually saying things that God would be pleased with.
Posted in Thoughts from Ecclesiastes by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.