Greetings, once again, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
When we claim the name of Christian, we are seen more as what we say and do, rather than what we claim to be.
Our lives are the only true witness of our relationship with God and our proclaimed service to the Lord.
God sees us as we truly are, from the depths of our hearts.
The people in this world see us by what our actions tell them.
The question then is this; "Are we honest, open, and true in our love for and our service on behalf of our creator, sustainer, savior and Lord?"
We might need to read the wise words of Solomon, who wrote these words in Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5.
vs 1: 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.
vs 2: Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few.
My impression is that Solomon is advising us to take our worship seriously and to clear our minds and hearts of any outside distractions.
We ought to not simply go through the motions of playing at church or being involved with religiosity, but should be transparent and have an attitude of striving to be holy as we seek to worship and serve God.
The wise King exhorts us not to make rash promises to God, especially in front of men, when we have no intention of keeping those promises.
Rather than make grandiose promises, it might be wise to remain silent and simply listen to what God wants us to do.
vs 3: For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words.
In the mind of the part-time Christian, there is the idea that words of what we promise weigh more than the things we actually do for God.
Many people in the church today, like the good feelings that come with hollow prayers, beautifully performed songs, and traditional ritual behavior.
The words sound good.
The loudly shouted proclamations give us a form of comfort.
The real fruit of Christianity and the real blessings come from the professing Christian's actual sacrifice of self, in the service of a loving and compassionate God.
vs 4: When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed.
Does this verse really need a translation or interpretation?
When God asks us to do something, and when we promise to perform that service, it is never wise to dishonor that pledge.
Those around us may see and hear our promises.
God always sees and hears our promises.
God also knows the depths of our hearts and souls.
Be not deceived, God is not mocked.
Whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.
May God grant us all many opportunities to share His love and grace with everyone around us.
May we all win one more soul to salvation in Christ Jesus.
Blessings will surely abound when we keep our promises to Him.
Your brother in Christ,
David D.
The Hawk.
When we claim the name of Christian, we are seen more as what we say and do, rather than what we claim to be.
Our lives are the only true witness of our relationship with God and our proclaimed service to the Lord.
God sees us as we truly are, from the depths of our hearts.
The people in this world see us by what our actions tell them.
The question then is this; "Are we honest, open, and true in our love for and our service on behalf of our creator, sustainer, savior and Lord?"
We might need to read the wise words of Solomon, who wrote these words in Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5.
vs 1: 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.
vs 2: Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few.
My impression is that Solomon is advising us to take our worship seriously and to clear our minds and hearts of any outside distractions.
We ought to not simply go through the motions of playing at church or being involved with religiosity, but should be transparent and have an attitude of striving to be holy as we seek to worship and serve God.
The wise King exhorts us not to make rash promises to God, especially in front of men, when we have no intention of keeping those promises.
Rather than make grandiose promises, it might be wise to remain silent and simply listen to what God wants us to do.
vs 3: For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words.
In the mind of the part-time Christian, there is the idea that words of what we promise weigh more than the things we actually do for God.
Many people in the church today, like the good feelings that come with hollow prayers, beautifully performed songs, and traditional ritual behavior.
The words sound good.
The loudly shouted proclamations give us a form of comfort.
The real fruit of Christianity and the real blessings come from the professing Christian's actual sacrifice of self, in the service of a loving and compassionate God.
vs 4: When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed.
Does this verse really need a translation or interpretation?
When God asks us to do something, and when we promise to perform that service, it is never wise to dishonor that pledge.
Those around us may see and hear our promises.
God always sees and hears our promises.
God also knows the depths of our hearts and souls.
Be not deceived, God is not mocked.
Whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.
May God grant us all many opportunities to share His love and grace with everyone around us.
May we all win one more soul to salvation in Christ Jesus.
Blessings will surely abound when we keep our promises to Him.
Your brother in Christ,
David D.
The Hawk.
