Imagine with me a stray dog that by chance runs into your house. He is friendly and energetic. However he has no sense of the distinction between the alleys of the town and your living room. His tail is knocking over some of your favorite and treasured heirlooms, he is jumping up on the sofa and china hutch. His feet are muddy and the new carpet now has ugly traces of this event. You try to capture him, but to him it is nothing more than a friendly and exciting game of tag! This poor dog just has no sense of where he is.
Just so is the conduct of many today in the practice of religion. They have no concept of who God is and how respectful they must be in His presence. This is the context of this verse from the book of Ecclesiastes:
Ecclesiastes 5:1
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Religion is nothing to be entered into lightly and without great respect for the One (God) that you are seeking to enter into relationship with. That is the true nature of religion is a relationship with the Sovereign of the universe. When we come into His house it is time to remove our shoes and bow in great humility and listen, not talk and make idle promises.
