I decided to set aside today to pray and study the Word. I was surprised that upon opening my Bible, the first thing I came to was Ecclesiastes 1. My first impulse was to turn to another book, say one of Paul’s letters, for something a little more positive, a little more encouraging. But then I began to see that perhaps this was just what I needed to read and study today. And then it just so happened that I was reading the chapter on Study in Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline” and I thought, well isn’t that ironic? Or maybe it wasn’t…
The first realization that I came to was this: a man (or a woman) is so often recognized and praised by the work he (or she) produces. How much money does he make? How many kids do they have? How creative are they? How does what they can do benefit our society? The list can go on and on. And I realized that I had been caught up in this tangled web myself. My unemployment over the last 7 months caused me to feel worthless and unproductive. I grew frustrated with myself and with God, questioning and berating Him over and over again. And I began to forsake devotional readings with Him, and my prayers were short and superficial.
What am I trying to say here? The point is that I grew consumed with material things and I did not allow myself to meditate on the things of the spirit! When I was in school and had a job, I made the excuse that I was too busy with so many things to truly have time with God. When I was unemployed, I merely distracted my mind with fun activities so as to not even be near the guilt of not turning to Him.
But when my mind finally realized that I once again, truly needed God, I began to talk, telling Him my situation, asking over and over again for the same thing, and I missed one crucial element: listening. It says in Ecclesiastes 5: 1-2, to “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools… do not be quick with your moth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on the earth, so let your words be few.” The purpose of prayer is not to get stuff from God, or to fulfill a requirement, it is to change us inwardly. Richard Foster says that when we pray, we are to listen for guidance.
So often when we pray or read the word, we do it quickly just to get it out of the way. You ever felt like that? You say a quick prayer before a meal or just rush through the reading of a chapter in the Bible, without truly grasping or meditating on it. Sometimes it is better to just read a few verses at a time and re-read to truly grasp the author intent, and to pray on them throughout the day. It is not the amount that we should be striving for, but rather the quality of even the shortest passage or verse.
We also need to be careful that when we study, we don’t assume we are going to go about the right way the first time. It is not an easy task, and it will take discipline that we may not have put to practice before or very well. This is the stage I am in right now. I have come to the realization that I do need to study more, and pray more, but I need to be careful that I do not assume that each time I will “get something out of it.” There will be dry times in our reading, but we need to not give up, for something greater is in store. Richard Foster says that the solution to this is four steps: repetition. concentration, comprehension, and reflection. We continually do the process of study (repetition), we concentrate on what we are reading (this may require that we narrow our focus on one particular passage or verse), we seek to understand (comprehend) what it means, and we reflect on it in our lives. We need to do this with an open mind and heart, not going into reading with the idea that we already know what it means. Each time we read it, it can have a new impact on us depending on where we are at in our lives.
So how can I draw this back to the beginning? We need to learn to not become so drawn up with worldly successes and praise. For Jesus said about the Pharisees in Matthew 6:5, “when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” But we are seeking our rewards in heaven, not on earth, and the praise of the Father, not of men. God will not recognize us by all the great things we will accomplished, but He will ask us “What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?” That is where are hearts need to be turned towards.
Of course, we need jobs so we can pay the bills and get by and all that, but when we become so consumed by things of that nature, it (like anything), can become an idol, something that takes the place of God, which should never be done. Jobs come secondary, not primary to Christ. For Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “To Live is Christ, to die is gain.” That is our calling, first and foremost.
And now I ask anybody who is reading this to be a prayer partner with me. To encourage me and to encourage each other (as I hope to do for you) to truly meditate on the Word and to seek to pray with an attitude of submission and a heart that longs to listen. This we must do, as fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. I praise the Lord for you and pray that we can walk together on this journey to follow Christ more fully.
