Confessions of a Church: Naivety

The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received.
This is the word of God.  It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.

Proverbs 14:17-21 A
quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated. The naive
inherit foolishness, But the sensible are crowned with knowledge. The evil will
bow down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous. The
poor is hated even by his neighbor, But those who love the rich are many. He
who despises his neighbor sins, But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.

Easily enticed, believing every word, misled and going back, all describe the state of the naive. Their minds are so open, that their brains fall out. Because of this they inherit foolishness, they are given over to debased minds to do things they know ought not be done. There is no fear of the LORD before their eyes. This is contrasted with the sensible, who is crowned with knowledge. The sensible man is one who trusts in the LORD with all his heart. The sensible man fears the LORD. Where do you find yourself this morning? Are you naive, being tossed to and fro by every new fad, every good story that tickles your ear? Are you tempted to lean on your understanding as you navigate tough issues in your life? Broken relationships, financial crisis, disobedient children, and frustration of things not being right, mark our lives in this fallen world. How do you respond? By leaning on your own wisdom, or fearing the LORD? Seeking counsel from sources not from GOD, or turning to scripture and leaning not on your own understanding?
 
Let us confess how we have failed to keep God’s Law:
 
Dear Gracious Heavenly Father,
As we kneel here this morning, showing outward displays of humbleness, I pray
that you would grant us humble, repentant hearts as well. LORD, we are men and
women of dust, and though we have been called out of darkness into your
marvelous light, though we have tasted and seen that YOU are good, temptations
to trust our feelings, what the world tells us, and the whisperings of the wicked
one persist. LORD, we are weak and frail. We can do nothing apart from YOU.
Apart from YOU, our best understanding of life is foolishness. Please be merciful
to us O LORD. Please forgive us for trusting in our understanding of things, rather
than in YOU and the wisdom from above. LORD, in areas of our lives where we are
currently striving in the flesh, in relationship issues, family struggles, financial
difficulties, uncertainties of the future, please help us to walk in the Spirit, where
YOU are. Heavenly Father, please help us to be lowly and humble, doing YOUR
will, as YOUR Son Jesus is. Father, please show us grace that we might fear YOU.
We are so arrogant and proud, thinking that it is our strength and wisdom which
sustains us. Please forgive us. LORD, please help us to forgive those who have
sinned against us, and please forgive us for striving with sinful man in ways that
do not honor you. It’s in Jesus name we pray, Amen.
 
 Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe:
 

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly
walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power
of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among
them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But
God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even
when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by
grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in
the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the
surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace
you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10

Lift up your hearts!!!!

(From the liturgy of Sovereign King Church.  Written by Aaron Sabie.)