Thursday Devotional - Faithful God despite our Foolish Frenzy (8/10/23)

I was convicted by this passage when I read it this past Sunday! 

At church earlier in the day, Joe and I read some Scripture passages as part of an interactive church service. Ahead of time and during the service, I was a bit distracted in several ways: nerves, making sure the kids were sitting properly, and concerned Joe wasn’t going to remember all that he was supposed to say before and after his reading!

Then, when I read the following passage during my own quiet time later in the day, I realized I didn’t guard my steps well while going to God’s house. I wasn’t prepared to listen to Him and was more concerned about how my family and I sounded.  

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7        ^]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

² Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.
³ A dream comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. ⁵ It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. ⁶ Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

I want to prepare better the next few weekends so I am ready to listen to God at church and not distracted by my own thoughts or nerves. What about you? How will you prepare to listen to God, whether it’s at church, Bible study, personal prayer time or other times of worship?  

Our Faithful God has so much to say to us, if we will just listen! He was faithful to gently tap me on the shoulder and point out my foolish frenzy from earlier in the day.

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Finally Listening

Earlier in Acts 27 Paul warned the men NOT to set sail (vs. 9-10). His warning was ignored and they ended up in a terrible storm. In the midst of the storm, God gave him and the people on board a promise that they wouldn’t die (vs. 24). However, the storm went on for 2 weeks!!!

Acts 27:27, 33-37     ²⁷ On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 

³³ Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. ³⁴ Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” ³⁵ After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶ They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. ³⁷ Altogether there were 276 of us on board.

I can’t imagine the fear everyone on the ship was experiencing! Not only were they afraid and hungry, but I would guess they were exhausted, many were sick from all the tossing back and forth, and some were probably injured. At this point, they listened to Paul, ate and were encouraged!

What about you and me? Do we wait to listen to God until we’re in a storm and have no other option? As Kent talked about yesterday, we’re to pay attention to God daily. We need daily time with God to heed His warnings and remember His promises. Then, we can have confidence in Him through whatever storms of life we face!

 Alice

Thursday Devotional - Hearing Only?

I often ask the kids “what did I say?!” Sometimes I ask it in response to them asking the same question they’ve just asked, hoping for a different answer! Other times, I ask it when I catch them not picking up after I asked them to pick up their toys. In either scenario, my kids heard and knew what I said but didn’t listen and obey.

Similarly, I can hear, read and know God’s Word, but what difference will it make in my life unless I apply and obey it?

Romans 2:13-16     ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) ¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Whether you plan to read the whole Bible in a year this year or have some other Bible study plan, end your time with at least one application question for yourself. I often write out my application question in a journal and then write out the answer. Sometimes I have to think about it and answer it the next day (or later).

James 1:22 & 25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.

Alice