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Ecclesiastes 5:4 - Did you know the God takes no pleasure in fools?

Hello again,

Hope everyone was safe in the snowstorm last night.  And in digging out today.

Sometimes wisdom literature is a little hard to understand.  Then there are days like today when there is not doubt. As you will see, I found this passage to be very convicting.

Blessings,

Jeff

God has no pleasure in fools.  Let not your mouth lead you into sin.  

Two stark warnings.   As a Christian, I know that God is omnipresent and omniscient.  He hears every word I say and in fact before a word is on my tongue he knows it altogether (Ps 139:4)

Isn't it interesting that I ask God to "hear my prayer" or "listen to my plea" as if that is the only time he pays attention to what I say.  Would I  ask Him to not listen to what I am about to say against a brother?  It would appear that what I "know about God" does not impact how I live and in particular what I say.

How would my speech be different if I said these thing to myself before every conversation or prayer?  What if someone said this at the beginning of every meeting?  We open meetings in prayer all the time.  Based on this passage, I know that it his will that I not let my mouth lead me into sin.  This goes with "your will be done" and "deliver us from evil" 

Instruction - What God expects - God is the one I must fear/respect/honor/reverence in my speech.  Speaking to gain favor of audience can be an occasion for my mouth leading me into sin if what I am saying is offensive to God.  Or if I really can't or won't follow through on what I commit to.  I can live with people being angry with my voice (what I say).  I cannot live with God being angry at my voice.

Thanksgiving - Of course the only wise God takes no pleasure in fools.  Of course the God who spoke creation into being cares about what comes out of my mouth.  Logical conclusion yet You had Solomon state these truths for my correction and benefit.  Thanks be to God.

Confession - living with gap between belief and practice to the point that I don't recognize it as sin.  I know the right thing to do but fail to do it.  Therefore it is sin to me. James 4:17

Petition - Yield full obedience and submission with the whole man in the area of speech and not taking Your name in vain.  WSC Q54 

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