The Right Kind of Fear, 2

SCRIPTURE:  Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 ESV

THOUGHT: It’s kind of shocking to hear Solomon refer to talking to God as a potential problem, a “sacrifice of fools,” or being “rash with your mouth,” or “doing evil.” That’s pretty strong language! I would never want to place my own prayers in that category, and I suspect you wouldn’t either. But the wise Solomon is zealous for the right kind of fear and awe and reverence rather than the kind of relationship that sees God as a handy vending machine, or takes his presence for granted, or dumbs him down to the status of an idol, repeating prayers like chants. My mind coughs up Jesus’ story of the Pharisee, praying out of his pride and contempt (Lk. 18:9-14). But it could just as easily open file drawers with pictures of myself, hasty to talk and slow to listen for what God would say.

Some of the best advice Solomon gives here is this: Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. It’s an alert posture; an active decision to think about what we’re doing, rather than checking out and going through the motions of communication and communion.

The presence of God, the Holy of Holies, is right inside the temple we carry around with us day after day. I need to think about that more often, to consider the way I treat the temple and the Holy Spirit who dwells with me. I want my heart to be hasty – not to utter a word before God – but to treat his presence as he deserves, with the right kind of fear.

PRAYER: Oh God, you are so much more worthy than I recognize in my day-to-day life. Forgive me for ever taking your amazing, awe-inspiring, powerful presence lightly, or treating your temple as if it doesn’t matter.