Ecclesiastes 3:18-22, "I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themeselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion : for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?"
What a comparison is made by Solomon here. When you look at the surface this seems to be a confusing passage to the believer, but remember Solomon has been talking about the vanity and futility of life without God. Without God, a man's flesh is no different than that of an animal. As a matter of fact elsewhere in the Bible lost men are called bruit beasts as well. Just as an animal is born and dies, men are born and dies, and that would be the end of the story except for the fact of verse 21 in our text. the fact is that the flesh may be the same, but there is a difference in the spirit. the spirit of animals dies and is buried with them, but the spirit that God has placed in man lives on fore all eternity. God has created man different than the animals in this, every man will stand before God in judgment one day. If you are lost, all you have is down here, one day your life will be over and you will stand before God and wish that you were but a beast that had died and was forgotten. However, for the child of God there is a great reward awaiting that we are looking forward to. My life is more than just that of a beast, I have an eternal purpose, because my spirit is some day going up to be with God. I do not know the spirit of man, but I have known, or rather am known of the Spirit of God, and He lives within me. Oh, what a glorious thought, we shall live on. Where will you live?
Thursday, July 29, 2010
the righteous and the wicked
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17, "And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."
It was Andrew Bonar, who over a century ago said, "I looked for the church and found it in the world. I looked for the world and found it in the church." But before that Solomon made the same observation. No matter where you look you will find both the good and the evil. It was first in the garden of Eden that God established the fact that these things often are found with each other. It doesn't take much to realize that the opposite of good is evil from this thought, but it is sometimes mind boggling to consider how often the two are intertwined beside each other. Sometimes we get the thought that the church should be a place free from the presence of that which is wicked, however the Bible teaches us that no matter where you look you will find both. the great promise for the righteous is not that they will be kept from the wicked while here on this earth, but that God knows the difference between the two.
As David said in the twenty third Psalm, "the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish". The Lord knows those who are His, and He knows how to judge the lost. We need not fear to find about us those who are wicked. What we should be more concerned with, is to be sure that we are not ourselves counted as those who are wicked.
It was Andrew Bonar, who over a century ago said, "I looked for the church and found it in the world. I looked for the world and found it in the church." But before that Solomon made the same observation. No matter where you look you will find both the good and the evil. It was first in the garden of Eden that God established the fact that these things often are found with each other. It doesn't take much to realize that the opposite of good is evil from this thought, but it is sometimes mind boggling to consider how often the two are intertwined beside each other. Sometimes we get the thought that the church should be a place free from the presence of that which is wicked, however the Bible teaches us that no matter where you look you will find both. the great promise for the righteous is not that they will be kept from the wicked while here on this earth, but that God knows the difference between the two.
As David said in the twenty third Psalm, "the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish". The Lord knows those who are His, and He knows how to judge the lost. We need not fear to find about us those who are wicked. What we should be more concerned with, is to be sure that we are not ourselves counted as those who are wicked.
what a cycle
Ecclesiastes 3:14-15, "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past."
We have a sovereign God, what a blessing to know that He can do what no one else can do, and no one can undo, what He has determined will be done. This passage tells us that His sovereignty causes men to fear before Him. Men only worship that which they perceive as greater than them. There is nothing greater than our God. Knowing that God is the one that establishes all things, and nothing can be taken from or added to what He does, explains the next verse.
It is strange to think that what has been is now, and what is coming has already been, but we see it everyday. Solomon told us that there is nothing new under the sun. The principle that is being presented here is the principle of cyclical nature. Consider the last statement in these verses, "God requireth that which is past". God has established that there be a cycle to everything. consider the cycle of life. Life begins, there is growth, there is reproduction, there is decline, there is death, and the cycle goes on. the water begins in the sea, evaporates up into the air, rains upon the ground, runs to the river, and back into the sea. God has put a cycle in everything around us, and this cycle is established by God. Men cannot change it, time does not alter it, because God is sovereign and what He does is forever. When we see these cycles around us it should remind us of how great our God is, that He is sovereign and we should fear before Him, and worship Him.
We have a sovereign God, what a blessing to know that He can do what no one else can do, and no one can undo, what He has determined will be done. This passage tells us that His sovereignty causes men to fear before Him. Men only worship that which they perceive as greater than them. There is nothing greater than our God. Knowing that God is the one that establishes all things, and nothing can be taken from or added to what He does, explains the next verse.
It is strange to think that what has been is now, and what is coming has already been, but we see it everyday. Solomon told us that there is nothing new under the sun. The principle that is being presented here is the principle of cyclical nature. Consider the last statement in these verses, "God requireth that which is past". God has established that there be a cycle to everything. consider the cycle of life. Life begins, there is growth, there is reproduction, there is decline, there is death, and the cycle goes on. the water begins in the sea, evaporates up into the air, rains upon the ground, runs to the river, and back into the sea. God has put a cycle in everything around us, and this cycle is established by God. Men cannot change it, time does not alter it, because God is sovereign and what He does is forever. When we see these cycles around us it should remind us of how great our God is, that He is sovereign and we should fear before Him, and worship Him.
all our labor
Ecclesiastes 3:9-13, "What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. he hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God."
God created man in His own image, and for five days prior to that He labored to prepare this world for His prized creation. The practice of God to labor, has been instilled into us after His image. These verses tell us that God gives men labor to be exercised in. The truth is that God has us working on things, while He is working on us. Any great work has a process to it. I must prepare each step along the way so that I can reach the finished product, and some steps take longer to finish than others, but each one is important. You may view your life in the same way. God is doing a work in you, you cannot know the work from beginning to end, but you can know what God wants you to do (labor in) right now so that He can make your life beautiful in His time. Sometimes we get so worried about the future that we cannot see what God is doing right now in our lives. let me challenge you that God will take care of the future, what He wants is for you to do the labor that He has laid before you right now, enjoy what He has given you right now, it is God's gift to you. Remember what Jesus said, in Matthew 6:34 "take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
The obvious context of these verses is that of time. consider today that when God's time is full for something it is a beautiful thing for it to happen. It is beautiful when the grain comes up through the ground casting its lush green hue over the field, but it is also beautiful when it has reached maturity and is golden and waving. Still yet it is a beautiful thing to see the grain in the barn. Things done before there time though loose the beauty that God intended for them. We must always wait on the timing of the Lord in our lives so that we might also be beautiful before Him.
God created man in His own image, and for five days prior to that He labored to prepare this world for His prized creation. The practice of God to labor, has been instilled into us after His image. These verses tell us that God gives men labor to be exercised in. The truth is that God has us working on things, while He is working on us. Any great work has a process to it. I must prepare each step along the way so that I can reach the finished product, and some steps take longer to finish than others, but each one is important. You may view your life in the same way. God is doing a work in you, you cannot know the work from beginning to end, but you can know what God wants you to do (labor in) right now so that He can make your life beautiful in His time. Sometimes we get so worried about the future that we cannot see what God is doing right now in our lives. let me challenge you that God will take care of the future, what He wants is for you to do the labor that He has laid before you right now, enjoy what He has given you right now, it is God's gift to you. Remember what Jesus said, in Matthew 6:34 "take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
The obvious context of these verses is that of time. consider today that when God's time is full for something it is a beautiful thing for it to happen. It is beautiful when the grain comes up through the ground casting its lush green hue over the field, but it is also beautiful when it has reached maturity and is golden and waving. Still yet it is a beautiful thing to see the grain in the barn. Things done before there time though loose the beauty that God intended for them. We must always wait on the timing of the Lord in our lives so that we might also be beautiful before Him.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
What time is it?
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to morn, a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."
Most of the problems that I have had in my life have come as a result of doing things out of their time. As a young man I had a very difficult time waiting for anything. Isn't it strange that when you are young and have your whole life ahead of you, everything is an emergency, and as you get older you realize that Solomon is true that to everything there is a season. Learning what season or time it is, is key to saving yourself from compounded troubles. Someone who violates the times reaps conflict in their life.
Learning to discern the times and apply the proper response is wisdom. How do we learn to do that? there are two things that teach us this. For the Believer, the first should be that we have asked God to teach us this wisdom. James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." It is so important for us to understand that God is the beginning and source of all wisdom. Before we seek wisdom from any source we should go to Him. He has the true wisdom, what seems to be wisdom in this world is often in contradiction to the Word of God, it is important that we discern what wisdom comes from God as it is true.
the second way that we gain the wisdom to discern the times is by the trials that we face. The biggest issue many times is that we don't have the patience to wait for the proper times and we force the issue. James says again in verse 3-4, "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Our view of trials must change if we are to learn what we need to by them. Trials are for our good, and they are for our education, that we can learn now to respond, and how to discern the proper actions for all situations. Wisdom comes from the experience of trials. Someone said, wisdom helps you overcome trials, but it only comes by going through them.
what time is it in your life? Are you allowing God to guide you through it with wisdom, or are you fighting against the times by refusing to yield to Gods working in your life?
Most of the problems that I have had in my life have come as a result of doing things out of their time. As a young man I had a very difficult time waiting for anything. Isn't it strange that when you are young and have your whole life ahead of you, everything is an emergency, and as you get older you realize that Solomon is true that to everything there is a season. Learning what season or time it is, is key to saving yourself from compounded troubles. Someone who violates the times reaps conflict in their life.
Learning to discern the times and apply the proper response is wisdom. How do we learn to do that? there are two things that teach us this. For the Believer, the first should be that we have asked God to teach us this wisdom. James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." It is so important for us to understand that God is the beginning and source of all wisdom. Before we seek wisdom from any source we should go to Him. He has the true wisdom, what seems to be wisdom in this world is often in contradiction to the Word of God, it is important that we discern what wisdom comes from God as it is true.
the second way that we gain the wisdom to discern the times is by the trials that we face. The biggest issue many times is that we don't have the patience to wait for the proper times and we force the issue. James says again in verse 3-4, "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Our view of trials must change if we are to learn what we need to by them. Trials are for our good, and they are for our education, that we can learn now to respond, and how to discern the proper actions for all situations. Wisdom comes from the experience of trials. Someone said, wisdom helps you overcome trials, but it only comes by going through them.
what time is it in your life? Are you allowing God to guide you through it with wisdom, or are you fighting against the times by refusing to yield to Gods working in your life?
Friday, May 7, 2010
contentment is the secret
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, "There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit."
This is a very interesting passage that takes a few turns but ends up at a superb truth. Let's address it in a systematic manner. God measures to each man how much he will be endued with of wisdom, knowledge, and joy. All men are created by God with different gifts, despite the cry of our day that all things must be fair, God does not give equally to all men in life. Yet, it is not for us to question God's decisions and working, but rather to accept the abilities that God has bestowed upon us and use them in the fullest way possible.
that truth being established, the key to life is learning what God has given you and being content with the way that He has made you. Thus contentment, not ability is the key to satisfaction in life. Many who have great abilities also have miserable lives, because they are never content with the things that they have. this is the reference that Solomon makes in the last verse, equating these people as sinners who all their life go around trying to gather more and more by their abilities and yet it all is vanity. Rather the godly man uses what God has given him to the fullest of his abilities, and accepts contentment after he has done what he can. Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain."
So eat the bread and drink the cup and enjoy what God has given you in life, it is far better than to fret about what you don't have.
This is a very interesting passage that takes a few turns but ends up at a superb truth. Let's address it in a systematic manner. God measures to each man how much he will be endued with of wisdom, knowledge, and joy. All men are created by God with different gifts, despite the cry of our day that all things must be fair, God does not give equally to all men in life. Yet, it is not for us to question God's decisions and working, but rather to accept the abilities that God has bestowed upon us and use them in the fullest way possible.
that truth being established, the key to life is learning what God has given you and being content with the way that He has made you. Thus contentment, not ability is the key to satisfaction in life. Many who have great abilities also have miserable lives, because they are never content with the things that they have. this is the reference that Solomon makes in the last verse, equating these people as sinners who all their life go around trying to gather more and more by their abilities and yet it all is vanity. Rather the godly man uses what God has given him to the fullest of his abilities, and accepts contentment after he has done what he can. Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain."
So eat the bread and drink the cup and enjoy what God has given you in life, it is far better than to fret about what you don't have.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Ready or not there it goes
Ecclesiastes 2:18-23, "Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what hat a man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. this is also vanity."
So it seems that Solomon had finally come face to face with the age old adage, you can't take it with you when you go. Imagine what a drastic reality this is to someone who literally had everything this world had to offer. You mean that I spent my whole life amassing wealth and possessions and i just have to leave it to some fool who won't know how to use it properly. What exactly was the point in this.
Many would do well to grasp a hold of this basic principle before they vainly waste away their life, as it says in Proverbs 15:16-17, "Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith." Sadly Solomon knew this in his youth and forsook it, only to regret that decision in his old age. Now we know that there is nothing wrong with leaving an inheritance, the issue is not leaving an inheritance, it is that Solomons life had been spent in the pursuit of amassing things for himself rather than using his life in being a blessing to others.
I wonder how many are hitching up waggons to their hearses today only to be sadly disappointed when they are planted all alone.
So it seems that Solomon had finally come face to face with the age old adage, you can't take it with you when you go. Imagine what a drastic reality this is to someone who literally had everything this world had to offer. You mean that I spent my whole life amassing wealth and possessions and i just have to leave it to some fool who won't know how to use it properly. What exactly was the point in this.
Many would do well to grasp a hold of this basic principle before they vainly waste away their life, as it says in Proverbs 15:16-17, "Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith." Sadly Solomon knew this in his youth and forsook it, only to regret that decision in his old age. Now we know that there is nothing wrong with leaving an inheritance, the issue is not leaving an inheritance, it is that Solomons life had been spent in the pursuit of amassing things for himself rather than using his life in being a blessing to others.
I wonder how many are hitching up waggons to their hearses today only to be sadly disappointed when they are planted all alone.
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