Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 22:20-21
How can you not love Ecclesiastes? It just cuts through all the messiness of life and gets straight to the point. Some people find this depressing; I find it very refreshing and encouraging.
"As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor" (Ecc. 10:1).
How can you not love Ecclesiastes? It just cuts through all the messiness of life and gets straight to the point. Some people find this depressing; I find it very refreshing and encouraging.
"As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor" (Ecc. 10:1).
"If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon
the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place
where it falls, there will it lie" (Ecc. 11:3).
How come no one memorizes these verses in Sunday School
or Awanas? They are good little nuggets of wisdom if you think about it. They
make me smile.
Just as my sister, Sarah, loves Ecclesiastes, so do I.
However, I am not the "melancholic" temperament that she is, but this
book appeals to me nonetheless. In different ways, it touches upon truths and
deep wisdoms with which my soul can deeply resonate.
I am a doer. I love to be productive and take care of
business. The more productivity I have had in a day, the better my day was. I
like to talk and hang out (this is productive relationally to me), but I really
love a task that has been completed. I'm not sure what temperament this falls
under (I didn't get a chance check out that link Sarah sent us fully, but I
plan to!), but as with most characteristics, valuing productivity can be both a
strength and a weakness.
What I love about Ecclesiastes is that it puts all of
life in perspective. No matter what your personality or temperament may be,
Ecclesiastes hits on it at some point. Do you pursue wisdom for fulfillment in
life? Meaningless. Do you pursue fun and pleasure for fulfillment in life?
Meaningless. Do you look for riches and wealth to bring fulfillment?
Meaningless. Do you think hard work will provide you with fulfillment? Meaningless.
All of us pursue these things to some degree and to some
level and all of us need these things to some degree and some level. But what I
love is the perspective Ecclesiastes provides - those things are not IT.
They will not fulfill. They will not bring meaning and purpose to life.
So what does? Well, we get to the punch line in our
reading today - "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the
matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man"
(Ecc. 12:13). That's it. After all this seeking of wisdom, all this searching for
what is truly significant in life, that is it.
Fear God and obey Him.
Ahhh, what a breath of fresh air that is. How
completely do-able. How completely freeing from all those other things that
drive us in life, that try to give us our sense of identity. I am not bound by
my productivity, by my intellect, by riches or success. If we are given those
things, great! Enjoy them, the Teacher says, but they are not the
conclusion.
The conclusion is: Fear God and obey Him. I can do that.
You can do that. Let's do it today!
How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.
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