I didn't post anything last week. As most of you know I am a work from home Mom of 4 and things sometimes get CrAzY, to put it mildly. We are back in the school routine, homework, two boys are playing football, one is involved in 4H, we have church 3 days a week (4 services total), we have started calving season on the farm, and then just random activities or obligations that come up. We love our crazy busy life. My crazy busy life may also be one of the reasons I love the book of Ecclesiastes. It helps bring your focus back to what makes it all worth while. None of it would be possible or even exist without God.
So, I want to dive in at the very beginning, verse one. '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.' Solomon has words of wisdom for when we are in God's house. We want to go in to church with our hearts prepared to hear from God. In order to really hear, we have to listen. When I want my kids' full attention, I want eye contact with them. I want their mouths closed and their ears open. I want them to hear me, and I want what I am saying to go deep into their hearts. I feel like it is the same way in the house of God and even in our daily walk with God. There needs to be time where we can just focus on hearing from him. That is not to say that while we are in church we are to never open our mouths. That just isn't the case, we know because we read in Psalm that God inhabits our praise. My Dad preached a beautiful message on order in the church over the weekend and I feel like it fits perfectly with what is being said in verses 1 and 2. So, my advice is to further expand on these verses by reading 1 Corinthians 14.
Solomon warns us about the seriousness of making promises, or vows in verses 3-7. It is better to not to make a vow than to make one and break it. Just like in life, we shouldn't be hasty in the moment to make promises we can't keep or have no intention of keeping. Vows could deal with money, gifts, our time, or anything. We may mean well, but a little extra thought may let us know that there is no way we could follow through. Don't be hasty in your words. Walk in the fear of the Lord.
The rest of this chapter deals again with the emptiness of riches. The Bible spends a lot of time on this very matter. Solomon spends a lot of time on this subject. He of all people to ever live knew first hand and his riches were a part of his blessing from God. I have seen people without money have such a love for it that they lose sight of what is really important in life. It is not always in having riches that we err. God has to be first in all that we do. We have to keep a God focus. Nothing we build up here will go with us when we go. 'As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.' (vs 15) Matthew 6:19-21 tells us to store up our treasures in heaven.
Verse 12 was my favorite in this chapter, 'The sleep of the laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.' I know first hand how a hard day of work brings a great night of sleep. I also see it with my husband all the time. He evens falls asleep mid sentence some nights. ☺ God is not against working. He is actually very much for working, but even in laboring/working, we have to have a correct perspective. 'Whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.' ( Colossians 3:23-24)
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