Pro 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked:, but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Our first verse reminds us of the fact that if we govern our tongues, we prove ourselves to be wise. When we are convinced that we will give an accounting of our thoughts and our words, then we will surely be careful to speak the truth, and to speak in such a way as to help, and not harm, others. So, in our heart we will study, or ponder, before we answer. Remember Nehemiah? He served King Artaxerxes, and when the king asked him why he looked sad, and what he would request, he didn't just blurt out the first thing that he thought of . . . he prayed before he answered the king. (You can check it out in the second chapter of Nehemiah.) I guess that's a pretty good example of a wise way to answer!
Verse 29 tells us that the "Lord is far from the wicked." Hmmm, do you remember this old saying --- If you are not as close to God as you used to be, who moved?
The wicked will find all kinds of ways to shove God out of their lives . . . it's just as if they looked Him in the face and said, "Go away! Depart!" People who find a relationship with God a nuisance, or an embarrassment, will shut Him out of their lives entirely. Don't mention Him around them; don't talk about His blessings, or an answer to prayer. Don't pray around them, either. When a person is that defiant, God will distance Himself from them. Their wickedness and sin will cause a great divide between them, and holy God. But what a gift -- His mercy provides for them to be restored, through repentance, and faith in Christ!
The second half of verse 29 is a precious promise for those of us who are Christians: He hears our prayers. This is one of many times that we are assured of this. If our heart is pure, and we are seeking Him, He will hear our prayers and be delighted by them. We can cling to this fact, and wait on His answer, in His time. I know that I sometimes have trouble with the waiting -- with the answer coming in His time. I want it to come in my timing! Anybody else struggle with that?
Well yeah, I figure we all struggle with that. He always answers...sometimes it's Yes, sometimes it's No, and sometimes it's Wait. None of us want to wait.
ReplyDeleteI am very impatient. sigh.
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