Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
2 Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it;
For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed— 5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.
I might entitle this blog……..sincerity in worship and knowing when to keep quiet!
Our good friend, Solomon, who built one of the most beautiful temples in the world, calls this temple “the house of God.” In Solomon’s day…..worship was more private than corporate. . Each worshipper was involved with God on a more individual basis. Solomon understood the human heart so well that he warned his readers of vain worship. Worship belongs to God…….not man. Man’s life was designed for worship.
God really doesn’t owe us anything….so, don’t make vows. Don’t bargain with God. Don’t make a vow in order to receive something in return.
If, indeed, there is a vow to God and He honors that vow…..then the person should repay with a heart of gratitude….not delaying in his promise. “Pay with you have vowed……..he has no pleasure in fools.” In other words, don’t try to fool God. God knows the heart.
But how should we living in the 21st century prepare for our worship?
Our minds and hearts belong to God before we arrive at our place of worship as a body. Worship is an individual thing however; we come together as church to praise God, to offer prayers for each other and to encourage one another.
Here are a few suggestions of mine but of course you have more.
First ..Anticipate the day….plan ahead. Read scriptures and prayerfully come before the Lord asking his blessings on the coming day. This day should be the high point of our week.
Second……Pray for the hour of worship to be a blessing for all who come and that the Lord will be honored in all the activities of the church.
Third…concentrate on the words of the songs, join with the person leading prayers, pray for the minister that hearts might be touched.
Fourth…No more long faces in the worship. Hey, God is on our side and He loves us. What more do you want?
Fifth……follow up all prayer requests. This is done in your private prayer time as well as in the church body.
Solomon also says that while God is in heaven we are on earth. Therefore, we have a job to do. We live in a world of vice, corruption, greed and hate. So what else is new?
AbideLines 