June 7, 2012 (Ecclesiastes 4-6; Psalm 18; Ephesians 3)
From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:
Scripture: “As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God.” Ecclesiastes 5:1 NLT
Observation: Solomon is basically saying, when you enter the house of God you should enter with the right attitude. You should be intentional, and careful, to be open and ready to hear from the Lord, rather than being careless to dictate to Him what He should do. Ready your ears to be open before you enter His house and prepare your mouth to be shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Think before you speak to Him. Think about what you are saying. Consider the cost of a promise, before you make it to the Lord. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. Be prepared to follow through on any commitment you make to the Lord, talk is cheap and in the end is useless without action. Fear, and reverence God as Lord of the universe for this is who He is.
Application: God graciously gave us two ears and one mouth. I praise Him for His divine wisdom and knowledge in this matter. We must learn to discipline ourselves to listen twice as much as we speak. It is discipline that teaches us to be prepared to hear when we enter His house. It is discipline that teaches us to keep our mouths shut. It is discipline that will warn us to think before we make a promise to God. It is discipline that will protect us from making huge mistakes. Don’t despise discipline; it is a friend to all who learn from it. Be prepared to keep all the promises you make to the Lord, for He will hold you accountable to every one, because He is just and righteous. Open your ears to hear and keep your mouth shut; you’ll be glad you did.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Thank You for the two ears You gave me to hear with. Thank You for only giving me one mouth. Give me the wisdom to know what’s right and the courage to do what’s right even when it’s hard. Open my ears to hear and help me keep my mouth shut. Strengthen me to fulfill every promise I’ve made to You, in Jesus name, Amen!