Joel 1:19 O LORD, to you will I cry: for the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness… Turn thy complaint into prayer, or else it is but a murmuring against God. It is by prayer we make our sorrowful hearts known to God. The reasons of this doctrine are — 1. Because God forgetteth not the complaints of the poor; 1.e. of those that pray unto Him. Otherwise He remembereth no more the poor man's envy than the rich man's quarrel. Therefore let this stir us up to make our complaint in prayer. 2. When men do only complain of this or that want without prayer they tempt God; therefore if we will obtain anything at the Lord's hand for our good, let us ask by prayer. 3. Let us learn to ask of God without murmuring or grudging at our own estate, or the Lord's hand; for the Lord will complain as fast on us as we complained to Him. 4. Another use is this, — that if complainers without praying be odious in the Lord's sight, although the cause be indifferent, then much more are those that never pray but for unlawful and filthy things, that they may bestow them on their lusts, as the apostle saith. (Edw. Topsell.) Parallel Verses KJV: O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. |
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