Wisdom from Ecclesiastes for Today: “As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut…” Ecclesiastes 5
If ever there was a time to hear from God, it is now! Both wisdom and folly vie for our attention. Christ warns us that many who use His Name would lead people into deception in the last days. Will we recognize God’s voice, or will we be drawn to charismatic voices that sound close enough to Truth yet deceive or distract us from God’s righteous written counsel? We must consider the messenger, view the message, and seek to discern Truth.
When a messenger promotes compassion, spirituality, and justice, tender-hearted listeners want to get on board. After all, these things reflect the character of Christ. But in a day where words have many definitions and definitions are regularly changing, it is critical to adopt the habit of asking for clarification of the message itself. “What do you mean by that word?” we might ask. “How does that square with the full counsel of Scripture?” Words and the expectations behind them matter.
Words have the power to hook our hearts to an idea or cause. We are prone to let our passions or others’ passions shepherd us, becoming a herd of sheep guided by sheep. Watch your step! The collective confusion and anxiety of our day are disorienting. Beware that your tender heart can also deceive and be deceived; beware of that seed of wisdom you rely upon that hasn’t been checked with the written Word of the Good Shepherd. To align our lives with God, we must train ourselves to turn to Him first, to listen and discern His voice. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27 NLT
We’ve been content too long to be churched – to appear to be pious. We don’t need to be viewed as good people, we want to be God’s people! Allen Jackson
Allen Jackson Ministries, Podcast 117: Be Ready for the Lord’s Arrival
Draw Near
We eagerly draw near to God’s presence in our cars as we sing along with the praise music in our homes as we consume online preaching with our friends in small groups. We come to Him with requests and pleas and praise for what He does for us. But how often do we approach Him readied to listen? After all, God is in heaven, and we are creatures under Him, on earth. Doesn’t it make sense to listen first and then to speak? As the adage goes, we have two ears and one mouth to hear twice as much as we say. Listening requires us to come, or in other words, pull away from distractions, noises, and busy minds, and lean in to hear His whispers.
Let’s stop right here and ask ourselves, “How is my listening?”
To make a pure offering with reverence and awe as we enter the presence of God, we must first decide to listen. We offer our praise, but first must tune in with our ears, as an act of humble worship each day. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes exhorts us:
“As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.” 5:1-2
Have I made worship about me?
I sat in the row directly in front of two women who were loudly chattering while sipping from their coffee cups. One of the women hadn’t noticed she rested her bulletin on top of my head while she chatted. I grew irritated but tried to laugh it off. Suddenly the lights turned low, and the music commanded the audience to stand and engage with the band. I observed the gossiping conversations suddenly turned to sing, and hands instantly were raised in the air. The trouble was we were not at a concert but a Sunday morning worship service. The crowd began to worship, but there was no space to prepare my heart. We had entered the King’s presence with clamor, casualty, and I dare say irreverence. I enjoy entering His presence with singing as much as most of that crowd, but had we shut our mouths long enough to recognize our place on earth before He who reigns above us? We did not shut our mouths; we had neglected to ready our hearts as we entered into worship.
Would you agree we too often come to God’s presence with the familiarity of a peer, eager to share our story and our needs before we acknowledge the One who commands pure worship? We eagerly approach an encounter with God, recognizing our need for Him, but allow our runaway sentiments and anxieties – a hasty heart- to lead the conversation. We neglect to prepare our hearts, which is a necessity to hear what He would say clearly.
In the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, while rioting in the United States due to racial prejudice and unjust actions, we are caught between opinions, various stories of wrong-doing, and multiple voices projecting their answers through violence, protest, disagreement, intimidation, or preaching. Our minds are overloaded, and distrust of others’ motives is elevated. How easy is it to allow our anxieties or fears to direct our next move?
Our anxious thoughts lead us to withdraw, or like sheep, jump on the next bandwagon. A respected teacher or celebrity may lead that bandwagon; it has elements of compassion and love tied to it, but is its message flowing from the righteous voice of the One True God? How will you discern the various voices in this cultural moment?
Let us first learn to hear.
Christ-following friends, we cannot be detoured from God’s voice. What must happen in your daily schedule to pull away, draw near to God, and receive His counsel? If you have many early morning responsibilities, ask the Lord to help you creatively devise a way to seek His face first.
Create a habit of stilling your heart in preparation to hear His voice. This may be a decision to sit quietly for five minutes before a service begins. Meditate on a Psalm, praise God’s character. Turn off devices and tuck them out of sight.
Talk to the Lord about your desire to hear Him. Let Him know you want to make it a priority, you desire to hear and follow His voice above any other. Ask His Spirit to grow this desire and help you make it happen.
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