If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.
Pronouncing a blessing on my “neighbor” would seem to be a good thing. Yet there can be times that a man “blesses his neighbor” and it’s not a good idea.
In fact, it might not be received as a blessing at all. The blessing might even “be taken as a curse,” instead.
In fact, it might not be received as a blessing at all. The blessing might even “be taken as a curse,” instead.
At issue in this verse is not the act (“blesses”) or the attitude of the blesser. Instead, the problem is in its timing (“early in the morning”). Of course, doing it “loudly” at that time of the day didn’t help either!
Doing right things (“blesses”) the right way (probably not “loudly”) at the right time (definitely not “early in the morning”) is how things are supposed to work. Central here is right timing.
Sadly, doing a good thing at a wrong time might not turn out to be good at all. It’s the old “cart before the horse” thing. How often have we run ahead of God’s plan or dragged our feet in getting started?
Right timing…Like the Prophet Isaiah once wrote, “you got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run.” Or was that somebody else?
Sadly, doing a good thing at a wrong time might not turn out to be good at all. It’s the old “cart before the horse” thing. How often have we run ahead of God’s plan or dragged our feet in getting started?
Right timing…Like the Prophet Isaiah once wrote, “you got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run.” Or was that somebody else?