July 20 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Ecclesiastes 7:13–18

Devotional

“Be not righteous over much.” “Be not over much wicked.” When we are given a sharp curve in life that we did not expect, we are in danger of becoming “righteous over much,” but also “over much wicked.” We are warned not to bend in either direction. We can easily become “over much wicked.” Adversity can harden us, so that we forsake God and His service, thinking it brings no profit to walk in His ways. “I have experienced too much,” says one, “to still believe in God. I have seen too much sorrow, injustice, and pain in the world to accept that there is a God in heaven.”

Think of Job’s wife. Mocking bitterly, she inquires if Job still retains his integrity. “Curse God and die,” she says. She will not have anything to do with such a God. Is this a God of love? Job’s wife becomes “over much wicked.” Instead of adversities bringing her closer to God, she turns away from God and consequently becomes foolish, for the fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

Therefore, God’s Word comes with an earnest warning: “Be not overmuch wicked, neither be foolish when things go wrong in your life.” God knows very well what lives in the heart of man. This is not an unnecessary warning for a child of God. The ways of the Lord are not always easy for a child of God to understand. Joseph, in prison, could explain the dreams of the baker and the butler, but how his own dreams were to be fulfilled was not clear to him. Asaph could not understand the dealings of the Lord. He rebelled against God’s ways. And we, too, easily blame God.

It is possible that we are too religious to blame God directly. The Israelites in the desert, when the water was bitter at Mara, did not blame God directly either. Moses was blamed. Who of us has not done likewise, when the cup of life becomes bitter? The end result is rebellion against God.

When all goes well we will hear no evil of God and of His guidance. A God who makes everything to fit our pleasures is very agreeable to us and we are pleased to acknowledge Him as God. But when God begins to deal differently with us then rebellion can erupt. This reveals what really lives in the heart. Then we refuse to bow to God. We even want to retaliate. That is “over much wicked” and foolish.

Therefore, God’s Word puts, as it were, a warning sign near the sharp curves in life. On this sign we read: “Be not righteous over much or over wise,” that is, do not think you know better than God knows. We also read: “Be not over much wicked and foolish,” that is, do not hit back when God smites but be still and let Him direct and guard your life. His doings are supremely wise.

God in His Word does not explain His counsel to our intellect or mind. We are not invited into the council of God so that we may understand exactly why the Lord does it one way and not another. We do not receive answers to all our questions concerning His ways. The Lord would cease to be God if we could comprehend Him. Scripture wants to teach us to leave the reins of control in God’s hands, to bring all our questions and sorrows to Him, and to believe that all is well in His hands, even when we do not understand God’s dealings.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.