A Time for Everything
Tell me honestly, do you really truly believe this passage of Scripture? Do you really think there is a time to die, to uproot, to kill, to tear down, to weep and mourn? I get the feeling that as spoiled Americans we think life should be a bed of roses and that we should endure absolutely no hardship whatsoever. However, God is telling us in Ecclesiastes 3 that hard times are simply a part of life. So, we have to take the bad with the good and quit griping about it. We want to blame all the bad stuff on a mean, uncaring God, and we want to take credit when things in life are successful. Uh uh. That's not how my Bible reads. "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecc. 3:11) You and I have absolutely no control over the events in our lives. God has it planned from beginning to end, and you and I cannot even fathom His plans. So, Solomon's advice is to be happy and do the best you can and leave the rest in God's hands.
Okay, I'm not quite sure where that soap box came from because I had not planned to write that first paragraph. So, if the shoe fits wear it. If not, then maybe you'll like the rest of this post a little better.
If you have time, will you read this chapter in The Message version? It just does a terrific job of putting it into every day language that you and I may relate to a little better. Then, will you respond to this post by writing about the verse that describes where you are in life right now? At some point in our lives, we will each experience all of the events and emotions described in Ecclesiastes 3. I'm just curious to know where God has you right now.
I am right in the middle of verse 6--"a time to keep and a time to throw away." I have recently packed up my entire house to move from Colorado to Oklahoma. (Yeah, I know, everybody's jaw drops here in Oklahoma when I tell them we left cool, colorful Colorado. Because every Oklahoman vacations in Colorado.) Anyway, I have had to make countless decisions about what to keep and what to throw away. And I thought I had done a good job of getting rid of excess cargo, but I have taken three more good-sized boxes to Goodwill since we arrived. What I have found, though, is that keeping and throwing away does not apply only to material belongings. It also applies to attitudes and thoughts and old habits and the way we do things. In what areas of my life would God like permission to perform a good housecleaning? What am I holding on to in my heart that needs pitched in the garbage?
Before leaving this chapter, I also want to comment on the writer's thoughts in verses 18-21. Did the writer actually think that we are no different than animals? Traditional Jewish teaching did not emphasize life after death because God's promises to the Israelites in the Old Testament focused on material blessings for obedience. When Jesus introduced the new covenant in His blood, He promised eternal life. Solomon did not have the benefit of knowing Jesus. He was looking forward to the Messiah. He had no assurance of life after death any more than his pet dog had. You and I, however, know differently. Jesus promised us in John 3:16 that God loves us and that if we believe in His Son we will not perish but have eternal life. In John 10:28, Jesus said He gives us eternal life and no one can snatch us out of His hand. John also tells us in 20:31 "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." God wants us to know that we know that we know that we can live with Him for eternity in heaven. I'm gonna be there! Are you?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Ecclesiastes 2
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isaiah 55:2)
King Solomon had enough money to buy everything he wanted for himself and all his wives. He had enough money to go anywhere and do anything his heart desired. Yet he was not satisfied. "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecc. 11:2) So why in the world do you and I try to store up wealth? What do we hope to gain? "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
In Ecclesiastes 2:17, the writer says he hated life. I wouldn't go quite that far, but there are many times when I tell Jesus that I am ready for His return. I get tired of fussing over details here on earth, and I'm ready to skip straight to heaven. Do you agree, or do you look forward to long life?
The reason the writer gives for hating life is because he has to leave everything to his heirs, and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? He's right. We can't take it with us, and we can't control what generations after us will do with their inheritance.
Ecclesiates 2:24-26 sums it all up, "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Everything good comes from God, so we should spend our lives doing our best to please Him. What have I done today that would bring glory to Christ?
King Solomon had enough money to buy everything he wanted for himself and all his wives. He had enough money to go anywhere and do anything his heart desired. Yet he was not satisfied. "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecc. 11:2) So why in the world do you and I try to store up wealth? What do we hope to gain? "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
In Ecclesiastes 2:17, the writer says he hated life. I wouldn't go quite that far, but there are many times when I tell Jesus that I am ready for His return. I get tired of fussing over details here on earth, and I'm ready to skip straight to heaven. Do you agree, or do you look forward to long life?
The reason the writer gives for hating life is because he has to leave everything to his heirs, and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? He's right. We can't take it with us, and we can't control what generations after us will do with their inheritance.
Ecclesiates 2:24-26 sums it all up, "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Everything good comes from God, so we should spend our lives doing our best to please Him. What have I done today that would bring glory to Christ?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Ecclesiastes 1
Ecclesiastes--what a fun word, huh! In Greek it means preacher or teacher. Most biblical scholars attribute this book to King Solomon even though he is not specifically named in the book.
Meaningless! Meaningless! This is obviously the theme of Ecclesiastes. Dear Jesus, please do not let my life be completely meaningless. Help me find enjoyment, and help me have an impact on the people I meet. Most of all, help me to live my life glorifying You! Living for God makes our lives eternally meaningful! Woohoo!
To sum it all up, the book of Ecclesiastes tells us life ain't fair. Amen to that. But the Teacher also says we might as well get over it and enjoy life as much as we can cuz it may be all we get. Amen to that too. I once heard a preacher on CSN radio say that we should pray for God to bless unbelievers because this earthly life is all the blessing they will get. So, if you don't know Jesus, and you are waiting for life to get good, I urge you to begin a personal relationship with the God who created you. He is the ticket to the best life for all eternity!
Ecclesiastes 1:4, 11--"Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." I am a firm believer in passing on our godly heritage to the generations who will follow us. So these verses really bug me, but I know they are true. I once had a seminar speaker ask us to list the full names of all our great grandparents. Can you do it? I can get a couple of their first or last names, but that's about it. I don't know all of them, and I know very very little about their lives. Were they Christians? Yeah, maybe. Do I know their stories of coming to Jesus? No. How about you? Any ideas about how we can make sure that our kids pass on our stories to our grandkids who will pass it on to our great-grandkids who will pass it on to our great-great-grandkids and so on?
Ecc. 1:18--"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." This seems sort of backwards to me. I'm always trying to gain wisdom and knowledge. Should I stop if all it will bring me is sorrow and grief? I feel like the Teacher is saying that as we grow wiser, our responsibility and burdens grow too. And if we are maturing as Christians at the same time, then we should be glad to shoulder the load and help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not all about me . . . hmmmm.
I really had planned to blog Ecclesiastes 1-5 & 12 all at once. But I'm fairly certain this one chapter is enough for us to process today. I'll pick up on chapter 2 tomorrow.
Meaningless! Meaningless! This is obviously the theme of Ecclesiastes. Dear Jesus, please do not let my life be completely meaningless. Help me find enjoyment, and help me have an impact on the people I meet. Most of all, help me to live my life glorifying You! Living for God makes our lives eternally meaningful! Woohoo!
To sum it all up, the book of Ecclesiastes tells us life ain't fair. Amen to that. But the Teacher also says we might as well get over it and enjoy life as much as we can cuz it may be all we get. Amen to that too. I once heard a preacher on CSN radio say that we should pray for God to bless unbelievers because this earthly life is all the blessing they will get. So, if you don't know Jesus, and you are waiting for life to get good, I urge you to begin a personal relationship with the God who created you. He is the ticket to the best life for all eternity!
Ecclesiastes 1:4, 11--"Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." I am a firm believer in passing on our godly heritage to the generations who will follow us. So these verses really bug me, but I know they are true. I once had a seminar speaker ask us to list the full names of all our great grandparents. Can you do it? I can get a couple of their first or last names, but that's about it. I don't know all of them, and I know very very little about their lives. Were they Christians? Yeah, maybe. Do I know their stories of coming to Jesus? No. How about you? Any ideas about how we can make sure that our kids pass on our stories to our grandkids who will pass it on to our great-grandkids who will pass it on to our great-great-grandkids and so on?
Ecc. 1:18--"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." This seems sort of backwards to me. I'm always trying to gain wisdom and knowledge. Should I stop if all it will bring me is sorrow and grief? I feel like the Teacher is saying that as we grow wiser, our responsibility and burdens grow too. And if we are maturing as Christians at the same time, then we should be glad to shoulder the load and help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not all about me . . . hmmmm.
I really had planned to blog Ecclesiastes 1-5 & 12 all at once. But I'm fairly certain this one chapter is enough for us to process today. I'll pick up on chapter 2 tomorrow.
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