Woke up to see a little frost on the ground and can see a little mist coming up off the ground too. I wish I was near water this morning - its a pretty sight to see the mist rising from the lake or stream. And all of us allergy sufferers are saying YES the pollen will go away until next year :-). Looks like its going to be a perfect fall day!
Today would have been my brother's birthday. He died of cancer 17 years ago at the age of 36. I work with his son, my nephew, now and its a constant reminder that my brother is gone. My nephew looks quite a bit like my brother. Jason was not quite 3 when my brother died so he doesn't even remember him. This brings me to my point for the day - Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes for future generations. He had been given much from God yet he had to see what the world had to offer. At the end of his life Solomon had regrets for turning from God. My brother Pete died on Easter Sunday 17 years ago, and he was ready to see Jesus. He had the hope of eternal life. My prayer today is that when our time comes to die that the one thing we are looking forward to - is seeing Jesus face to face. Yes we all have sinned and fallen short of the grace of God, but Jesus came to save us from our sins so that we may enjoy eternal life with him. We just need to simply ask Jesus to be our comforter, our guide, our source of wisdom, and the reason for our existence while on this blue marble ball called the earth.
Chapter 3
Verses 1-8 A time for ....These are popular verses - songs have been written using these words, we see pretty pictures with these words in the background, etc. I wonder how many people in the world know these are verses from the bible. One could spend hours philosophically going through these verses, but I am going to keep this short and sweet. These verses are the rhythm of life. Seasons in our life. And we need to have balance. If you are stuck on any part of these verses - today may be a good day to ask for the Lord's help in overcoming one of these stumbling blocks in your life. Sometimes it is so hard to let go of hurts and sorrows, it is time to forgive and laugh again.
Verses 9-13 These verses have a lot to do with our attitude. Do we look forward to getting up every morning and doing our daily tasks? I know I envy people sometimes who love their jobs. I am settling in to a new job and there have been a few bumps along the way - not bad ones but they are there. And I have thought - what's the goal here? And I began to think of people I looked up to, mentors and what their good qualities were. That has helped me a lot. Focus on the positive, not the negative. Verse 13 says this is a gift from God that we find satisfaction in the work we do. I may need to pray on this one!
Verse 14-15 There is nothing we endure that hasn't happened before. I remember especially in my teens and a few years beyond that no one has EVER gone through the tragic times I'm currently experiencing. Worse yet sometimes the devil deceives us and tells us that no one has ever gone through this before. Not true. What God has orchestrated many years ago, endures forever. Nothing will be added or taken away.
Verse 16-17 Discusses wickedness and justice. Wickedness of course is the opposite of justice. Even the legal system does wicked things at times. We may not see justice come to fruition in our own understanding, but God's justice will prevail over man's wickedness. And I think this is a key point - to look upon God for his justice and ask for peace when we don't understand the evil or wickedness around us.
Verses 18-22 Wow, tough verses. Darwin might like these verses. Man's fate is like animals, we all are born, we all die. Verse 21 says who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of animals goes down to the earth. Many believe their beloved pets go to heaven - I'm not sure what I think about that :-). I think what Solomon may be saying is that our bodies are like animals, but we have souls and this is what separates us from the animals. And our souls are what forms relationships with God. God desires a relationship with us, we find purpose in our lives, and it is good.
Chapter 4
Verses 1-3 Solomon sees all the oppression around him. I know today we see almost daily on the news some one's house burned to the ground, natural disasters, etc, where people lose everything. Some always live in poverty or in other bad situations or disabilities. I can't imagine what these people go through. My only thought is if I have been through bad times - I can try to minister some one who is going through it now. Try to bring comfort and compassion to them. Sometimes we need just to listen and hold their hand for a time. But beyond oppression all around us, we still have hope for future generations. There is nothing more joyful for me than to spend time with my grandchildren and watching the changing seasons even though I may complain about the weather.
Verses 4-6 Work is work! Some do the bare minimum to get by, others are workaholics. Both have their work ethic out of balance. Again we need to work to be able to support ourselves and our families and not expect hand outs. And then we shouldn't work so hard that we don't take time to enjoy life around us. Both are like chasing after the wind.
Verses 7-8 The author sees a man all alone, and his life seems meaningless. My humble opinion - this is a very selfish man - he has put walls around himself so he loves no one but himself. And at the end of his life wonders why he toiled so much. Dickens book Christmas Carol - Ebenezer Scrooge - comes to mind with these verses. Not theologically sound but I think this portrays these verses well.
Father God we thank you for the wise words of Solomon. We ask that we ponder upon what he has written. Life DOES have meaning when we have the right attitude, and have a right relationship with you. Help us Lord to have balance. We know we will have times to mourn, and times to embrace new ventures in our lives. Let us learn to let go of the bad and see the good. And we ask that we find pleasure in work. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
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