Posts
timewithgod.blog-city.com — December 2008
Ecclesiastes 1 -- What NOT To Search For
Ecclesiastes has always been a difficult book for me, because it deals with so much futility and frustration. And I seem to always get my fill of that at work. Solomon was granted his wish for wisdom by God, and as he began to detail his
Ecclesiastes has always been a difficult book for me, because it deals with so much futility and frustration. And I seem to always get my fill of that at work.
Solomon was granted his wish for wisdom by God, and as he began to detail his use and pursuit of it, he lets slip a major clue to his problem: "I decided to use my wisdom to learn about everything that happens on earth." If he could only have been able to read in our New Testament, "This is eternal life: That people know YOU, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One You sent." Spoken by the Son Himself. Solomon should have turned his eyes Sonward.
"We are so accustomed to responding to 'our' Jesus that we have forgotten how to respond to the Son of the living God," my sidebar says. "His teachings have been taken with the pragmatic view of 'helping me', not followed because we must obey and can do nothing else..... To reject God out of hand is one thing, but to acknowledge Him and then to live as if He is neither Lord nor God is a horrible existence ... We were created to be disciplined, put on this earth by God at this time and in this place NOT for personal gain or personal pleasure, but for His purpose. He says, 'Come unto me.' It is time for us to do what He asks.... Learn to live your life so every detail pleases God."
Father, that's the true formula for rising above all of the mundane and tedious things in this life. If we are to acquire any lasting, useful knowledge that will fulfill us, it must be about You. Help me to remember that being engaged in that search is where eternal life starts right now.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Ecclesiastes 2 -- What WON'T Make You Happy
Solomon decided to try every way under the sun to obtain lasting happiness. What he found was that it never lasted.I wish that I could copy and past the entire commentary for this chapter here! It is that good, and everyone needs to hear
Solomon decided to try every way under the sun to obtain lasting happiness. What he found was that it never lasted.
I wish that I could copy and past the entire commentary for this chapter here! It is that good, and everyone needs to hear it!
It starts out by confirming that, yes, God wants His people to have a good life. He's not opposed to pleasure at all. But He wants us to realize that this world CANNOT provide true pleasure ... "In HIS presence is fullness of joy." "At HIS right hand are pleasures forevermore." My commentary said, 'In that sense, God is the greatest hedonist or pleasure-lover of all."
"Solomon had to learn that true pleasure comes from noble renunciations rather than from frenzied accumulations." In common terms, it's so awesome to give and to serve, not to get and to be waited on.
Something I took out of this is that every physical part of us with which we can sense the world around us can eventually be glutted with its own particular pleasure, to the point that it's no longer fun or exciting to keep trying. In college economics, they described it as "the diminishing marginal utility of returns".
Rather than amassing fortunes, Solomon began to see that God had really intended for us to find pleasure in the common areas of life. Verses 24-25 say, "The best that people can do is eat, drink, and enjoy their work. I saw that even this COMES FROM GOD." I've heard it said that if you find a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life!
Solomon found that man does not have the power of enjoyment unless it is given by God. "Without Him, we cannot enjoy the most ordinary pleasures. We depend on Him for food, appetite, digestion, sight, hearing, smell, memory, health, sanity, and all that makes for normal, pleasurable experiences," my commentary says.
Father, I thank You that in large part You have helped me to find my joy in You and in who You've given me -- my two sons. Please help me to pass that ability to enjoy life on to them, more than any inheritance they might ever receive. Thank You for enabling me to enjoy work, and to have a good work ethic, for that helps me to be a better servant for You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Ecclesiastes 3 -- What I DON'T Know....
My commentary showed me something that really changed my understanding about this very familiar chapter. It said that we have to remember that Solomon did not have the revelations from the New Testament that we have. His "wisdom"
My commentary showed me something that really changed my understanding about this very familiar chapter. It said that we have to remember that Solomon did not have the revelations from the New Testament that we have. His "wisdom" was wisdom "under the sun" and not heavenly wisdom. Therefore, his tone is negative because he's thought himself into a corner by deciding that this is all life consists of, and we had best learn to like it.
He did have a few things he'd gotten right, mainly in verses 9-14. God has put a desire for eternity within us. He does do everything just right and on time. Man cannot alter what God has decided will stand.
They key to understanding what's what seems to revolve around comments he makes, such as "I said in my heart....", "I realized....", "I said to myself....", and "so I saw that...".
In verse 18-24, Solomon becomes downright cynical, even.
It certainly highlights for me how little I know and how much God knows. We still see "through a glass darkly."
Father, this reminds me so much of that time in my life when my own "intellect" was telling me things about You that were untrue. Yet I trusted in myself instead of in You. I was so dead wrong and I don't want to ever find myself in that situation again. Please keep reminding me of just how little I know and how much I must trust in You.
Eccelsiastes 4 -- Give Me YOUR Eyes, Father
Solomon seems to get so cynical and fed up with life that many times it's tough to find the godly wisdom among his "under the sun" thoughts.Yes, it is good to be saddened by man's inhumanity to man, but those never born are not bett
Solomon seems to get so cynical and fed up with life that many times it's tough to find the godly wisdom among his "under the sun" thoughts.
Yes, it is good to be saddened by man's inhumanity to man, but those never born are not better off than the living. Yes, many people do work hard and try to succeed because they are jealous and envious of the possessions of others, but many others do so because they possess a good work ethic based on what the Bible teaches.
Yes, it is good to be content with what we have, but God also gives us healthy bodies and mental and physical abilities that allow us to earn money that we are biblically instructed to use in helping those in need.
Father, I thank You for giving me good health and a good work ethic. Thank You for keeping me from envying what others have. Thank You for allowing me to enjoy the simple pleasures of raising my boys. Thank You for showing me the real please of giving to others as You have given to me.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Ecclesiastes 5&6 Being God's Personal Shopper?
Unfortunately, Solomon seems to have landed more on the side of "the actual fear of incurring the displeasure of the Almighty" here in these chapters than on the side of "the loving trust of Jehovah", according to my commentary.&n
Unfortunately, Solomon seems to have landed more on the side of "the actual fear of incurring the displeasure of the Almighty" here in these chapters than on the side of "the loving trust of Jehovah", according to my commentary. Such warnings as thinking before speaking to God, using only a few words to do so, and making rash promises to God that will be impossible to keep are sprinkled generously through these chapters.
Also, Solomon continually warns of the dangers of letting wealth ruin one's life: the insatiable desire for more of it, the lack of sleep over worrying about losing it, and the inability to enjoy it.
I think the real application here should probably be that everything that comes our way is God's, not ours. We are not to be like the foolish servant in Jesus' parable who socked it all away, but instead we are to put it to work as God directs, helping those in need and realizing real joy from giving, as God does.
Father, help me to use what You've given me to help others. Help me to find my joy in being the arms, legs, and hands of Jesus here on earth to those whom He would be helping.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Ecclesiastes 7 -- Solomon's Thoughts Are Running On Fumes
Solomon again is seen as viewing life from an earthly perspective at times, with brief flickers of the heavenly wisdom God had given him. The few things that rose above the earthly view today were:1) "You can judge the size of a man
Solomon again is seen as viewing life from an earthly perspective at times, with brief flickers of the heavenly wisdom God had given him. The few things that rose above the earthly view today were:
1) "You can judge the size of a man by the size of what it takes to make him lose his temper," my commentary had to say about verse 9.
2) "God's guarantee for His people is that they are immortal till their work is done," it added about Solomon's seemingly random thoughts around verse 16.
3) "God satisfies man's hunger for perfection with Christ -- no one else, no other thing," it said as chapter 7 wrapped up.
Solomon had "looked for love in all the wrong places" and that search had made him very cynical. Perhaps out of all this God is showing us the utter futility of life apart from Him.
Father, thank You fro getting it through my thick head that I need You desperately in this life. Thank You also for Your guarantee that I am immortal until my work here is done. Please keep my thoughts Sonward.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Ecclesiastes 8 -- Remembering To APPLY The Wisdom He Gives Us
As wise as Solomon had become, he was still confounded by certain glaring exceptions to what should be general rules. He saw "evil people who used to go in and out of the holy place" (which in itself doesn't seem right at all) bei
As wise as Solomon had become, he was still confounded by certain glaring exceptions to what should be general rules. He saw "evil people who used to go in and out of the holy place" (which in itself doesn't seem right at all) being honored as much as righteous people at their funerals.
He found it a travesty of justice that criminals weren't tried quickly and/or they received light sentences, believing that such justice lost its deterrent effect.
He noticed that bad things happened to good people and vice versa.
The one reason that those using sub-Son wisdom cannot reconcile these facts is that they fail to factor in the fallen nature of man and our seemingly inherent desire to sin. Had Solomon considered it all with God's wisdom, he might have quickly come to that conclusion.
In verses 16 & 17, he noted all that God had done and rightly determined "that God had so arranged things that a man cannot put all the parts of the puzzle together. No matter how hard he tries, he will fail. And no matter how brilliant he is, he will not be able to find answers to all the question," my commentary said.
His wisest advice seemed to come from verse 5: "A wise person does the right thing at the right time. There is a right time and right way for everything."
Father, I still find myself lacking so much in the wisdom department. And what I do know, I often fail to apply in the right way and at the right time. Just yesterday, you gave me an important principal to follow regarding my temper, and yet last night, frustratingly assisted by pain in my back, I failed to apply Your wisdom correctly in dealing with my younger son. I thank You for speaking to me through Your Holy Spirit so that I was led to wake him up and apologize for my mistake. There truly is a right time and a right way for everything -- even an apology.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Ecclesiastes 9 -- Can This GET Much Worse??
By this point of the book, every Christian ought to be most thankful that this is not the only book in our Bible. The preacher seems to have reached the high point of his cynicism, and it shows us that, without an understanding of God and His W
By this point of the book, every Christian ought to be most thankful that this is not the only book in our Bible. The preacher seems to have reached the high point of his cynicism, and it shows us that, without an understanding of God and His Word, this might be the very best that mankind could fathom regarding our earthly existence -- that we should make the most of every pleasure while we can because only the grave awaits us.
Verse 9 sums it up well: "Enjoy all the useless days of the useless life God has given you here on earth, because it is ALL you have."
That sounds like the treasure verse for the secular media to take out of context!
About the only wisdom he showed here appeared in verses 17-18: "The quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish ruler. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much good."
This chapter proves to me that, if this is the best that earthly wisdom can come up with, I'd rather be ignorant. Better a sheep going to slaughter and unable to comprehend that fact.
My commentary noted that many false teachers have latched on to verses in this chapter. It said, "It is senseless to build a doctrine of the hereafter on this....book. As has been repeated emphasized, Ecclesiastes represents man's best conclusions as he searchers for answers 'under the sun'. It sets forth deductions based on observation and logic but not on divine revelation. It is what a wise man might think if he did not have a Bible."
Father, I've allowed myself in the past to be fooled by Satan regarding the value of my wisdom apart from You. That became the most miserable and regrettable time of my life. I know that I truly rediscovered a treasure when I finally opened Your Word and began to study it. I pray that every person on earth will one day get to read Your Word and see for themselves what a joy it is to believe in a God like You!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Ecclesiastes 10 -- WISE Words -- What I NEEDED To Hear
Just as I was ready to say, "This is getting useless (used a lot in chapter 9)," God steps right in with advice just right for the moment.At work, I've been struggling with several challenges that need midcourse corrections. they
Just as I was ready to say, "This is getting useless (used a lot in chapter 9)," God steps right in with advice just right for the moment.
At work, I've been struggling with several challenges that need midcourse corrections. they will be time-consuming and we were seeing little use for the end products, wondering if it would even be worth the effort to make the changes. God definitely affirmed the change in viewpoint that I felt coming yesterday. So what did chapter 10 have to say?
1) "A little foolishness can spoil wisdom." For me, it meant that all the wisdom we thought we were putting forth on one project was indeed spoiled by underlying mistakes, to the point that it would be the height of insanity to not fix the problem, regardless of the time involved.
2) "The heart of the wise leads to right, but the heart of the fool leads to wrong." My heart knows that there is real value in correcting this and finally making the project useful for decision-making.
3) "Remaining calm solves great problems... A dull ax means harder work. Being wise will make it easier." As my commentary said, "It's a good idea to work with sharp tools. Otherwise it takes a lot more time to get the job done." Also, time is wasted if it is spent on casting blame. Better to just remain calm and get done with it all.
4) "The kind of mistake rulers make: Fools are given important positions while gifted people are given lower ones." This almost harkens back to "social promotion" in school. Performance should determine pay.
5) "The words of the wise bring them praise, but the words of a fool will destroy them.... A fool talks too much." My commentary said, "The wise man's words are gracious, but a fool talks on and on as if he knew everything, but he doesn't." That last part says to me, "Don't state a fact as being a fact until you've thoroughly checked it out and know that you're on firm footing."
Father, I didn't know how I would ever grow into my new responsibilities or how long it might take. I'm thrilled to know that You've got my back and are leading me every step of the way.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Ecclesiastes 11 -- God's Investment Advice?
In my Bible, this chapter is entitled "Boldly Face The Future" and it seems to model all of the investing advice we keep hearing in this very uncertain economic environment."Invest what you have, because after a while you will get a re
In my Bible, this chapter is entitled "Boldly Face The Future" and it seems to model all of the investing advice we keep hearing in this very uncertain economic environment.
"Invest what you have, because after a while you will get a return. Invest.... in several different businesses, because you don't know what disasters might happen."
There was also advice about risk-taking:
"Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops."
Verse 6 reminded me of dollar cost averaging, even: "Plant early in the morning, and work until evening, because you don't know if this or that will succeed. They might both do well."
Verse 10 even came out as an old man's lament at not having done all of this: "Don't worry...."
Father, it's so amazing to me to know that You cover just about everything in Your Word, for every possible time and set of circumstances. I pray that You will guide me with Your wisdom in what I do with the resources You provide me. Show me when and where to jump in, just like the servants wisely investing in Jesus' parable, so that I will have what You want me to have to share with others.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
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