Day 64, Year 1

Listening To the Truth with Introspection Leads Us to Wisdom

“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.” (Ecclesiastes 5:1 NASB)

In the Old Testament, the house of God was used to offer sacrifices and also for priests and prophets to preach God’s messages. Today’s verse points out that people should heed God’s words more than offer the sacrifice of fools. One essential purpose of listening to God’s words is to know whether the things we do are good or evil in His eyes, and then receive His affirmation or lead us to repent.

Looking back at yesterday’s discussion, those who do not wholeheartedly believe in God are always foolish. It is because all idols, the world’s trends, and certain human traditions make people’s hearts stubborn. Conversely, the Word of God is full of spiritual laws and varieties. For example, Jesus heals the sick, including those who have faith in Him—this is His spiritual law. Yet, some people found that Jesus’ ways for curing the sick in the Gospels were never the same. The work of God is creative, often goes beyond human expectations, and is different in every situation. Therefore, it is impossible for those who truly believe and follow God to become foolish or rigid.

Take today’s verse as an example, understanding whether our actions are good or evil according to God’s Word is the main way for us to break away from foolishness. It is likely that in the Old Testament, some people observed that sinners repeatedly offered sacrifices for their sins, yet they failed to get rid of their transgressions ahead. Offering sacrifices for sin is a remedial measure. It is essentially not preventive and not about effectively seeking change from within. Contrarily, by listening to God’s Word and understanding what we did was evil, we could subsequently know why they were wrong, thus changing from the roots of our evil. Only then could we completely break away from the power of evil.

“Guard your steps” in today’s verse refers to being cautious when entering the house of God. It may imply being mindful not to go in the wrong direction within biblical faith. Knowing the Bible in some way does not necessarily entail personal transformation or salvation. We should find the right direction and make the Bible our basis for inner change so as to be saved and delivered from evil. Perhaps some are worried they would mistakenly change themselves because they misunderstood the Bible. Yet, I believe the Lord will surely bless those who persistently trust in Him and ask for His help. He will certainly have mercy on us who changed ourselves wrongly and help us return to the right path according to His will.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you find it easy to transform yourself by listening to God’s words? If not, how would you rely on the Lord to properly transform yourself?

2) So far, is the direction you strive for in the faith correct? Is it leading you to transform and drawing you closer to the Lord’s goodness?