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Post by Obadiah on Feb 1, 2023 5:18:29 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 1ST
The SearchThe words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 RSV The first verse of the book identifies the writer as the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. The son of David could refer to any descendant of David who sat on the throne after him, but this particularly relates to Solomon, as several things in the book will confirm. Unfortunately, the translators here refer to Solomon as the Preacher, and I am sorry they used that term as it makes the book sound a little preachy at the beginning. On reading that second verse it would be so easy to affect a stained-glass voice. In a modern audience this, of course, would turn everybody off. The word translated preacher is the Hebrew word Qoheleth, which really means the one who gathers, assembles, or collects things. This is an apt title for the author of this book, who has examined and then collected together the philosophies by which people live. But I think a more accurate English translation would be the Searcher. Here is a searching mind that has looked over all of life and seen what is behind people's actions. Searcher is the word that I am going to use wherever preacher occurs, because the writer is not really a preacher or proclaimer, but a searcher. This is indeed a search, and if you are concerned about what the Searcher discovered, he tells us. You do not have to read the last chapter to find out the results of his search, because he puts it right here in verse 2: Vanity of vanities — that is what he found. Vanity here does not mean pride in appearance. Perhaps some people spend too much time in front of the mirror in the morning, admiring themselves a little. We call that vanity, pride of face, but that is not what this Searcher is talking about. The word here, in the original, means emptiness, futility, meaninglessness, blahness. Nothing in itself; the Searcher claims, will satisfy. No thing, no pleasure, no relationship, nothing he found had enduring value in life. Everyone has seized on one or another of these philosophies, these views of life, and tries to make it satisfy him or her. But according to this Searcher, who has gone through it all, nothing will work. When he says, Vanity of vanities, emptiness of emptiness, that is the Hebrew way of declaring the superlative. There is nothing emptier, this man concludes, than life. In verse 3 we have the question that he continually used in his search: What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? What is the profit of it to him? This is an interesting Hebrew word meaning, that which is left over. After he has sucked dry all the immediate delight, joy, or pleasure from something, what is left over, what endures, what will remain to continually feed the hunger of his life for satisfaction? It is the question we all are asking. Is there anything that will really minister continually to my need—that highest good, which, if I find it, will mean I do not need to look any further? Lord, thank You for the honesty of this book, written ages ago, but still so relevant. I too have been on a search, and I have found that with You life is not futile but full of meaning and purpose. Life ApplicationHas our pursuit of knowledge and worldly pleasure left us sated and cynical? Do we need to redirect our pursuit from a wholly different perspective? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 2, 2023 5:36:46 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 2ND
The Endless CycleGenerations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. Ecclesiastes 1:4
The Searcher's theme is stated in verse 4: Humanity is transient, but nature is permanent. A generation comes and a generation goes—the human race passes on from this life, comes into life, lives its term, and goes on—but the earth remains forever. He has three proofs for this, the first of which is the circle of the sun. The sun rises in the east; runs across the heavens, apparently; and sets in the west. Then it scurries around the dark side of the earth while we are sleeping, and there it is in the east again in the morning. That cycle has been going on as long as time has been measured, as far back as we can read in human history. It is endless; it continually repeats itself. Then he speaks of the circuit of the winds. This is unusual, because we have no evidence that people in Solomon's time understood scientifically the fact that the wind, the clouds, and the great jet streams of earth run in circles. This is evident to us in our day because we can see from a satellite picture in any news broadcast the great circles of the winds. I do not know how they knew this back then. But Solomon knew it, though the scientific world of that day did not seem to understand it. His third proof is the circuit of the evaporative cycle. Where does all the water that endlessly drops out of the sky come from? The answer, of course, is that it comes from the ocean. An invisible evaporative process is at work by which the water that runs into the sea never raises the level of the sea because there is an invisible raising of that water back up into the clouds. These clouds then move east by the circuit of the winds and drop their moisture again, and this goes on forever. The writer is suggesting that there is something wrong in this. It is backwards, somehow. Humans ought to be permanent, and nature ought to be transient. There is something within all of us that says this. We feel violated that we learn all these great lessons from life, but just as we have begun to learn how to handle life it is over, and the next generation has to start from scratch again. The Scripture confirms that something is wrong. The Bible tells us that people were created to be the crown of creation. They are the ones who are in dominion over all things. People ought to last endlessly and nature ought to be changing, but it is the other way around. Humans feel the protest of this in their spirit. Something is wrong that all of this is suddenly taken away from us, while the meaningless cycle of nature goes on and on endlessly. Yes, the human spirit feels that strongly. That pertinent question is going to be developed in the theme of this book. Lord, as I look around and see the endless cycles of nature, I feel my own transitoriness. Thank You for that fuller revelation that in Christ, who conquered death, I have the hope of eternal life. Life ApplicationSolomon sagely ponders why we strive, often desperately, to prolong our lives forever? Is something backwards in our human existence? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 3, 2023 5:03:19 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 3RD
The Restless LifeAll things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. Ecclesiastes 1:8Solomon's thesis here is, All things are restless. He has observed that there is an inherent restlessness in everything. In fact, it is so widespread that no one can possibly describe all the restlessness of life. He has two proofs for this. First, human desire is never satisfied: The eye never has enough of seeing. When my wife's mother was ninety-five years old, she was just a shell of a person, but her mind was still sharp and clear. One day she was in our home, and somebody mentioned a far-off place. Immediately she said, Oh, I wish I could see that. Despite her years, the eye was not tired of seeing; it longed yet to see other places, other realms, and other customs. The eye is never satisfied. Nor is the ear ever satisfied with hearing. We are always alert to some new idea or something new that has happened. That is why news programs are always popular. Television, radio, and newspapers all cater to the ear's hunger to hear something. Some juicy gossip about a Hollywood star will sell thousands of magazines and newspapers. Some new way of making a profit always makes its appeal. The Searcher's argument is that the ear never tires because human desire is never satisfied; it is a consequence of the restlessness that is built into life. But, second, he says, even though we long to see or hear something new, nothing new ever really shows up. Life is a rehash of what has happened before; it is the old played over and over again. This too is a result of the restlessness that is built into life. Although something looks new to us, actually, There is nothing new under the sun. So the question is raised, Is this all life is about? Is it merely an empty pursuit of that which never satisfies? Can no breakthrough be made whereby something can be found that will continually meet the hunger of the human heart, to give an unending sense of delight, satisfaction, and joy? That is the search. Lord, my heart is restless until it finds its rest in You. Thank You that in You all things are made new! Life ApplicationDo we shop until we drop, always hoping to buy into the ultimate satisfaction? Is life simply an empty pursuit after things that never fully satisfy our deepest desires? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 4, 2023 7:19:21 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 4TH
The Pursuit Of PleasureI thought in my heart, Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good. But that also proved to be meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:1In chapter 2 we are introduced to the record of what Solomon found in this search. We have an examination of the various ways by which humans have sought through the ages to find contentment, enjoyment, and delight in life. The first way, the one that is most popular today and always has been, is his examination of what philosophers call hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure. All of us instinctively feel that if we can just have fun, we will find happiness. That is what the Searcher examines first to see whether it is true. He gives us details of what he experienced. First, Solomon tells himself, Enjoy yourself, so he went in for mirth, laughter, and pleasure. You can let your mind fill in the gaps here. Imagine how the palace must have rocked with laughter. Every night they had stand-up comics and lavish feasts, with wine flowing like water. Solomon gives us the result of the search. Laughter, he said to himself, is foolish. I wonder if each of us has not experienced this to some degree. Have you ever spent time with a group of your friends, giving yourself to laughing, having fun, and telling stories? If you think carefully about it, you will recall that at least parts of the stories were based on exaggeration; they did not have much basis in reality. It is the same with laughter. Laughter deals only with the peripheries of life. There is no solid content to it. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:6). Laughter is only a crackling noise. It leaves one with a sense of unfulfillment. I have had such afternoons and evenings that were delightful occasions. We laughed all the time as we rehashed experiences and told jokes, but when all was said and done, we went to bed feeling rather empty. That was Solomon's experience. He is not saying that this is wrong. He says that laughter is empty, it does not fulfill or satisfy. Of pleasure, Solomon's comment is, What use is it? What does it contribute to life? Nothing, is his answer. Pleasure consumes resources; it does not build them up. Most of us cannot afford a night out more than once or twice a year because it costs so much. Going out uses up resources that have been acquired through hard work. Pleasure, Solomon concludes, adds nothing. Solomon says there were some positive things. First, he gained a degree of notoriety. He became great, surpassing all who went before him in Jerusalem. Many people think that fame will satisfy the emptiness of the heart. Solomon found fame. I enjoyed it for a while, he says. I found pleasure in all my toil, but that was all the reward I got for my labor—momentary enjoyment. Each time I repeated it, I got a little less enjoyment out of it. My conclusion, Solomon says, is that it was not worth it. Like a candle, it all burned away, leaving me jaded and surfeited. Nothing could excite me after that. He concludes that it was all emptiness, a striving after wind. He was burned out. Lord, I too have sought for my satisfaction in fun, laughter, and pleasure, and, like Solomon, I have come up empty. Let me enjoy those pleasures You give as gifts from Your hand, but let me find my heart's delight in You. Life ApplicationDo we live as consumers, using every resource & person in our quest for fulfillment? Has the well of hedonistic pleasures gone dry? Where do we go after burn out? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by praiseyeshua on Feb 4, 2023 9:07:54 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 4TH
The Pursuit Of PleasureI thought in my heart, Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good. But that also proved to be meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:1In chapter 2 we are introduced to the record of what Solomon found in this search. We have an examination of the various ways by which humans have sought through the ages to find contentment, enjoyment, and delight in life. The first way, the one that is most popular today and always has been, is his examination of what philosophers call hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure. All of us instinctively feel that if we can just have fun, we will find happiness. That is what the Searcher examines first to see whether it is true. He gives us details of what he experienced. First, Solomon tells himself, Enjoy yourself, so he went in for mirth, laughter, and pleasure. You can let your mind fill in the gaps here. Imagine how the palace must have rocked with laughter. Every night they had stand-up comics and lavish feasts, with wine flowing like water. Solomon gives us the result of the search. Laughter, he said to himself, is foolish. I wonder if each of us has not experienced this to some degree. Have you ever spent time with a group of your friends, giving yourself to laughing, having fun, and telling stories? If you think carefully about it, you will recall that at least parts of the stories were based on exaggeration; they did not have much basis in reality. It is the same with laughter. Laughter deals only with the peripheries of life. There is no solid content to it. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:6). Laughter is only a crackling noise. It leaves one with a sense of unfulfillment. I have had such afternoons and evenings that were delightful occasions. We laughed all the time as we rehashed experiences and told jokes, but when all was said and done, we went to bed feeling rather empty. That was Solomon's experience. He is not saying that this is wrong. He says that laughter is empty, it does not fulfill or satisfy. Of pleasure, Solomon's comment is, What use is it? What does it contribute to life? Nothing, is his answer. Pleasure consumes resources; it does not build them up. Most of us cannot afford a night out more than once or twice a year because it costs so much. Going out uses up resources that have been acquired through hard work. Pleasure, Solomon concludes, adds nothing. Solomon says there were some positive things. First, he gained a degree of notoriety. He became great, surpassing all who went before him in Jerusalem. Many people think that fame will satisfy the emptiness of the heart. Solomon found fame. I enjoyed it for a while, he says. I found pleasure in all my toil, but that was all the reward I got for my labor—momentary enjoyment. Each time I repeated it, I got a little less enjoyment out of it. My conclusion, Solomon says, is that it was not worth it. Like a candle, it all burned away, leaving me jaded and surfeited. Nothing could excite me after that. He concludes that it was all emptiness, a striving after wind. He was burned out. Lord, I too have sought for my satisfaction in fun, laughter, and pleasure, and, like Solomon, I have come up empty. Let me enjoy those pleasures You give as gifts from Your hand, but let me find my heart's delight in You. Life ApplicationDo we live as consumers, using every resource & person in our quest for fulfillment? Has the well of hedonistic pleasures gone dry? Where do we go after burn out? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Much of what Solomon experienced was due to his "backslidden"condition. 1Ki 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 1Ki 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 1Ki 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 1Ki 11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 1Ki 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. I have long believed that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes at a time of repentance before his death. It is a reflection of a man that has spent his life having both the best this life has to offer and the best God has to offer. Having.... "Had it all"..... You can tell what he truly missed.... On a personal note, I went to buy a lottery ticket the other day (Which I still did. I'm not against the lottery)...... In the process I thought of how many things I could do for God if I had "the money". In contrast, I believe the Spirit of God reminded of what Jesus Christ accomplished in absolute poverty..... I once thought I needed to do something "BIG" for God. I eventually realized the best I could ever do is return to Him the "Love He has given to me". Rich or Poor. Strong or weak. There is nothing worth having without Jesus Christ being with us. This is what you see with Solomon in Ecclesiastes. His "autobiography". The "autobiography" of all man's struggles to understand themselves the way God sees them. |
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Post by civic on Feb 4, 2023 9:18:25 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 4TH
The Pursuit Of PleasureI thought in my heart, Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good. But that also proved to be meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:1In chapter 2 we are introduced to the record of what Solomon found in this search. We have an examination of the various ways by which humans have sought through the ages to find contentment, enjoyment, and delight in life. The first way, the one that is most popular today and always has been, is his examination of what philosophers call hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure. All of us instinctively feel that if we can just have fun, we will find happiness. That is what the Searcher examines first to see whether it is true. He gives us details of what he experienced. First, Solomon tells himself, Enjoy yourself, so he went in for mirth, laughter, and pleasure. You can let your mind fill in the gaps here. Imagine how the palace must have rocked with laughter. Every night they had stand-up comics and lavish feasts, with wine flowing like water. Solomon gives us the result of the search. Laughter, he said to himself, is foolish. I wonder if each of us has not experienced this to some degree. Have you ever spent time with a group of your friends, giving yourself to laughing, having fun, and telling stories? If you think carefully about it, you will recall that at least parts of the stories were based on exaggeration; they did not have much basis in reality. It is the same with laughter. Laughter deals only with the peripheries of life. There is no solid content to it. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:6). Laughter is only a crackling noise. It leaves one with a sense of unfulfillment. I have had such afternoons and evenings that were delightful occasions. We laughed all the time as we rehashed experiences and told jokes, but when all was said and done, we went to bed feeling rather empty. That was Solomon's experience. He is not saying that this is wrong. He says that laughter is empty, it does not fulfill or satisfy. Of pleasure, Solomon's comment is, What use is it? What does it contribute to life? Nothing, is his answer. Pleasure consumes resources; it does not build them up. Most of us cannot afford a night out more than once or twice a year because it costs so much. Going out uses up resources that have been acquired through hard work. Pleasure, Solomon concludes, adds nothing. Solomon says there were some positive things. First, he gained a degree of notoriety. He became great, surpassing all who went before him in Jerusalem. Many people think that fame will satisfy the emptiness of the heart. Solomon found fame. I enjoyed it for a while, he says. I found pleasure in all my toil, but that was all the reward I got for my labor—momentary enjoyment. Each time I repeated it, I got a little less enjoyment out of it. My conclusion, Solomon says, is that it was not worth it. Like a candle, it all burned away, leaving me jaded and surfeited. Nothing could excite me after that. He concludes that it was all emptiness, a striving after wind. He was burned out. Lord, I too have sought for my satisfaction in fun, laughter, and pleasure, and, like Solomon, I have come up empty. Let me enjoy those pleasures You give as gifts from Your hand, but let me find my heart's delight in You. Life ApplicationDo we live as consumers, using every resource & person in our quest for fulfillment? Has the well of hedonistic pleasures gone dry? Where do we go after burn out? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Much of what Solomon experienced was due to his "backslidden"condition. 1Ki 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 1Ki 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 1Ki 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 1Ki 11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 1Ki 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. I have long believed that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes at a time of repentance before his death. It is a reflection of a man that has spent his life having both the best this life has to offer and the best God has to offer. Having.... "Had it all"..... You can tell what he truly missed.... On a personal note, I went to buy a lottery ticket the other day (Which I still did. I'm not against the lottery)...... In the process I thought of how many things I could do for God if I had "the money". In contrast, I believe the Spirit of God reminded of what Jesus Christ accomplished in absolute poverty..... I once thought I needed to do something "BIG" for God. I eventually realized the best I could ever do is return to Him the "Love He has given to me". Rich or Poor. Strong or weak. There is nothing worth having without Jesus Christ being with us. This is what you see with Solomon in Ecclesiastes. His "autobiography". The "autobiography" of all man's struggles to understand themselves the way God sees them. Great insights brother thanks for sharing them. |
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 5, 2023 7:02:07 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 5TH
A Note Of JoyThis 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 Ecclesiastes 2:24b-26a
The true message of this book is that enjoyment is a gift of God. There is nothing in possessions, in material goods, in money; there is nothing in people themselves that can enable them to keep enjoying the things they do. But it is possible to have enjoyment all your life if you take it from the hand of God. It is given to those who please God. Wisdom and knowledge have been mentioned before as things you can get from under the sun, but they will not continue. To have added to them the ingredient of pleasure, of continual delight unceasing throughout the whole of life, you must take it from the hand of God. The person who pleases God is given the gift of joy. It is wonderful to realize that this book teaches us that God wants us to have joy. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul said, [He] richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17). It is God's desire and intent that all the good things of life that are mentioned here should contribute to people's enjoyment; but only, says this Searcher, if you understand that enjoyment does not come from things or people. It is an added gift of God, and only those who please God can find it. How do you please God? In many places in Scripture we are told that without faith it is impossible to please God. It is faith that pleases Him, belief that He is there and that everything in life comes from His hand. Underscore in your minds the word all. Pain, sorrow, bereavement, disappointment, as well as gladness, happiness, and joy—all these things are gifts of God. When we see life in those terms, any and every element of life can have its measure of joy—even sorrow, pain, and grief. These things were given to us to enjoy. This is also the message of Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. It is also the message of Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Father, all things come from Your hands. I thank You that You sent Your Son that I might have Your joy within me. Life ApplicationShall we choose to live each day as grateful receivers, acknowledging every good gift as God's provision? Have we seen His intent for joy in all we experience? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 6, 2023 6:04:02 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 6TH'
A Time For EverythingThere is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1We now have come to the third chapter, which describes the combination of opposites in our experience. Throughout this chapter the idea is propounded that there is an appropriate time for all of life's experiences. There is an appropriate time for everything, the unpleasant as well as pleasant experiences. This is not merely a description of what happens in life; it is a description of what God sends. Many of us are familiar with the Four Spiritual Laws, the first of which is, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. That is the plan that is set forth here. All along, the Searcher is saying that God desires to bring joy into human experience. Many people think Ecclesiastes is a book of gloom and pessimism because of the findings based on the writer's limited view of those things under the sun, the visible things of life. But that is not the message of the book. God intends us to have joy, and His program to bring it about includes all these opposites. If you look carefully, you will see that these eight opening verses gather around three major divisions that correspond, amazingly enough, to the divisions of our humanity: body, soul, and spirit. The first four pairs deal with the body: a time to be born and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Notice how this applies to the physical life. None of us asked to be born; it was something done to us, apart from us. None of us asks to die; it is something God determines. So this is the way we should view this list of opposites, as a list of what God thinks we ought to have. It begins by pairing birth and death as the boundaries of life under the sun. Then the Searcher moves into the realm of the soul with its functions of thinking, feeling, and choosing—the social areas—and all the interrelationships of life that flow from that. Verse 4 tells us there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. All these things follow closely, and they are all appropriate. No one is going to escape the hurts and sorrows of life is what he is saying here. God chose them for us. In a fallen world it is right that there will be times of hurt, of sorrow and weeping. The last six of these opposites relate to the spirit, to the inner decisions, the deep commitments. There is a time to search [for work, marriage, new friends] and a time to give up (Ecclesiastes 3:6). There comes a time in life when we should curtail certain friendships or change our jobs, for instance, and lose what we had in the past. It is proper and appropriate that these times should come. All of this is God's wonderful plan for your life. The problem, of course, is that it is not our plan for our life. If we were given the right to plan our lives we would have no unpleasantness at all. But that would ruin us. God knows that people who are protected from everything almost invariably end up being impossible to live with; they are selfish, cruel, vicious, shallow, and unprincipled. God sends these things in order that we might be taught. There is a time for everything, the Searcher says. Father, thank You for all the experiences of life that You have planned for me, so that I might be conformed to the image of Your Son. Life ApplicationAre we learning to see God's wise direction and providence in the contrasting experiences of our lives? If we were in charge would the result be wholeness & joy? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 7, 2023 5:45:22 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 7TH
Eternity On My MindHe 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. Ecclesiastes 3:11The Searcher discovered three things. First, everything is appropriate and helpful to us, even those things that appear to be negative as well as positive. These are not curses and obstacles; they are God's blessings, deliberately provided by Him. Even our enemies are a blessing. Love your enemies, Jesus said, because they are valuable to you (Matthew 5:44). They do something for you that you desperately need. Our problem is that we have such a shallow concept of things, so we want everything to be smooth and pleasant. More than that, we want to be in charge, we want to limit the term of hurt or pain. But God will not allow us to take His place and be in charge. The second thing the Searcher learned in his search is that there is a quality about life, about humanity, that can never be explained by the rationale of evolution. No animal is restless and dissatisfied when its physical needs have been met. Observe a well-fed dog sleeping before the fire on a cold day. It is with its family, enjoying itself, not worried about anything. A human in that same position will soon feel a sense of restlessness. There is something beyond, something more he or she is crying out for. This endless search for an answer beyond what we can feel or sense in our physical and emotional needs is what is called here eternity in man's heart. St. Augustine said, Thou has made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless until they learn to rest in Thee. People are the only worshipping animals. What makes them different cannot be explained by evolutionary procedure. They are different because they long for the face of God. C.S. Lewis said, Our Heavenly Father has provided many delightful inns for us along our journey, but he takes great care to see that we do not mistake any of them for home. There is a longing for home, there is a call deep in the human spirit for more than life can provide. This itch that we cannot scratch is part of God's plan. The third thing that the Searcher learned is that mystery yet remains. We are growing in our knowledge, but we discover that the more we know, the more we realize we do not know. The increase of knowledge only increases the depth of wonder and delight. In the sovereign wisdom of God, we cannot solve all mysteries. As the apostle Paul put it, We see but a poor reflection as in a mirror (1 Corinthians 13:12); we are looking forward to the day when we shall see face to face. We cannot know all the answers to all the conundrums and enigmas of life. That is why the exhortation of Scripture is always that we must trust the revelation of the Father's wisdom in areas we cannot understand. Jesus said over and over that the life of faith is like that of a child. Little children in their father's arms are unaware of many things that their father has learned. But, resting in their father's arms, they are quite content to let those enigmas unfold as they grow, trusting in the wisdom of their father. That is the life of faith, and that is what we are to do in our experience. Thank You, Lord that You have placed eternity in my heart. Nothing can satisfy my deepest longings but You. Teach me to be content with simply resting in Your arms. Life ApplicationWhat is it that clearly differentiates us humans from animals? Are we living in denial of that basic element, yet wondering why life seems meaningless? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 8, 2023 5:14:33 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 8TH
Let God Be GodI know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Ecclesiastes 3:14
How different this picture of life under the sovereign lordship of a living God is from what most people think God is like! A popular book for Christians on the topic of sex explains the truth that God has designed sex for pleasure. But it is not merely sex that is designed for pleasure; all things are designed for human pleasure. If you think a certain thing in and of itself is going to produce lasting pleasure, however, you will miss it. The secret is that it is the knowledge of God in that relationship that produces enjoyment. We are not in the grasp of the Great Cosmic Joy Killer, as many people seem to view God. God delights in human enjoyment. The Searcher says that all enjoyment must be discovered by realizing that God is in charge, and He will not bend His plan for anyone. God has sovereignly, independently, set up the plan of life in a way with which we cannot interfere. He has done so in order that people should revere Him. All through the Bible we read, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Until a person recognizes and trusts the superior wisdom of God, he or she has not begun to fear God. This fear is not abject terror of God; it is respect and honor for Him. If you attempt to live your life without the recognition of God, ultimately you will find yourself, as the Searcher found himself; empty, dissatisfied, and restless, feeling that life is miserable and meaningless. The secret of life is the presence of God Himself. Most of the struggle of life comes from our wanting to play God ourselves, wanting to be in charge of what happens to us. That is true even of Christians. When God refuses to go along, we sulk and pout and get angry with Him. We throw away our faith and say, What's the use? I tried it, but it doesn't work. What a foolish statement! God will not surrender His prerogatives. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it—God has made it so in order that men should revere him. Lord, forgive me for thinking I know what is best for those I love and me. Teach me to trust in Your work, because I know that nothing can be added to it. Life ApplicationGod has sovereignly, independently, set up the plan of life in a way with which we cannot interfere. Why has He done this and what is the secret of life? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by civic on Feb 8, 2023 5:38:30 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 8TH
Let God Be GodI know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Ecclesiastes 3:14
How different this picture of life under the sovereign lordship of a living God is from what most people think God is like! A popular book for Christians on the topic of sex explains the truth that God has designed sex for pleasure. But it is not merely sex that is designed for pleasure; all things are designed for human pleasure. If you think a certain thing in and of itself is going to produce lasting pleasure, however, you will miss it. The secret is that it is the knowledge of God in that relationship that produces enjoyment. We are not in the grasp of the Great Cosmic Joy Killer, as many people seem to view God. God delights in human enjoyment. The Searcher says that all enjoyment must be discovered by realizing that God is in charge, and He will not bend His plan for anyone. God has sovereignly, independently, set up the plan of life in a way with which we cannot interfere. He has done so in order that people should revere Him. All through the Bible we read, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Until a person recognizes and trusts the superior wisdom of God, he or she has not begun to fear God. This fear is not abject terror of God; it is respect and honor for Him. If you attempt to live your life without the recognition of God, ultimately you will find yourself, as the Searcher found himself; empty, dissatisfied, and restless, feeling that life is miserable and meaningless. The secret of life is the presence of God Himself. Most of the struggle of life comes from our wanting to play God ourselves, wanting to be in charge of what happens to us. That is true even of Christians. When God refuses to go along, we sulk and pout and get angry with Him. We throw away our faith and say, What's the use? I tried it, but it doesn't work. What a foolish statement! God will not surrender His prerogatives. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it—God has made it so in order that men should revere him. Lord, forgive me for thinking I know what is best for those I love and me. Teach me to trust in Your work, because I know that nothing can be added to it. Life ApplicationGod has sovereignly, independently, set up the plan of life in a way with which we cannot interfere. Why has He done this and what is the secret of life? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Amen our study last night was on this exact phrase in the devotional above from Tozers book the pursuit of God. " The secret of life is the presence of God Himself. " We studied chapter 5 in the book last night at the mens group: The Universal Presence |
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 9, 2023 5:54:05 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 8TH
Let God Be GodI know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Ecclesiastes 3:14
How different this picture of life under the sovereign lordship of a living God is from what most people think God is like! A popular book for Christians on the topic of sex explains the truth that God has designed sex for pleasure. But it is not merely sex that is designed for pleasure; all things are designed for human pleasure. If you think a certain thing in and of itself is going to produce lasting pleasure, however, you will miss it. The secret is that it is the knowledge of God in that relationship that produces enjoyment. We are not in the grasp of the Great Cosmic Joy Killer, as many people seem to view God. God delights in human enjoyment. The Searcher says that all enjoyment must be discovered by realizing that God is in charge, and He will not bend His plan for anyone. God has sovereignly, independently, set up the plan of life in a way with which we cannot interfere. He has done so in order that people should revere Him. All through the Bible we read, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Until a person recognizes and trusts the superior wisdom of God, he or she has not begun to fear God. This fear is not abject terror of God; it is respect and honor for Him. If you attempt to live your life without the recognition of God, ultimately you will find yourself, as the Searcher found himself; empty, dissatisfied, and restless, feeling that life is miserable and meaningless. The secret of life is the presence of God Himself. Most of the struggle of life comes from our wanting to play God ourselves, wanting to be in charge of what happens to us. That is true even of Christians. When God refuses to go along, we sulk and pout and get angry with Him. We throw away our faith and say, What's the use? I tried it, but it doesn't work. What a foolish statement! God will not surrender His prerogatives. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it—God has made it so in order that men should revere him. Lord, forgive me for thinking I know what is best for those I love and me. Teach me to trust in Your work, because I know that nothing can be added to it. Life ApplicationGod has sovereignly, independently, set up the plan of life in a way with which we cannot interfere. Why has He done this and what is the secret of life? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Amen our study last night was on this exact phrase in the devotional above from Tozers book the pursuit of God. " The secret of life is the presence of God Himself. " We studied chapter 5 in the book last night at the mens group: The Universal Presence I'll read it today. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? Psalm 139:7 This one is sooo good: "God’s Pursuit of Man" Although written two years after the publication of The Pursuit of God, Tozer’s God’s Pursuit of Man is considered its prequel because it sets forth the biblical truth that before man can pursue God, God must first pursue man. In this book, previously published as The Pursuit of Man Tozer speaks fervently of God’s desire for man to be saved and the action He takes as He “invades” the human soul. It is then, Tozer explains, that the Holy Spirit can teach us the mystery of the triune God. |
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 9, 2023 5:56:13 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 9TH
AmbitionAnd I saw that all labor and achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:4How accurately this records what is happening in human history! People really do not want things; they want to be admired for the things they have. What they want is not the new car itself but to hear their neighbors say, How lucky you are to have such a beautiful car! I clipped from Newsweek magazine an article by a reporter on life in Washington, D.C. Here is what she says drives people in the nation's capital: Ambition is the raving and insatiable beast that most often demands to be fed in this town. The setting is less likely to be some posh restaurant or glitzy nightclub than a wholly unremarkable glass office building, or an inner sanctum somewhere in the federal complex. The reward in the transaction is frequently not currency at all, but power, perquisites, and ego massage. For this, the whole agglomeration of psychological payoffs, there are people who will sell out almost anything, including their self-respect, if any, and the well being of thousands of others. This quote confirms exactly what this ancient Searcher is saying. The drive to be admired is the true objective of life. But, he says, this too is meaningless, a chasing after wind. Sometimes, however, when people become aware of this, they flip over to the opposite extreme: they drop out of society, and let the government support them. But that is not the answer either, the Searcher says: The fool folds his hands and ruins himself (Ecclesiastes 4:5). Many young people who were part of the youth revolution, the counterculture society, have found this to be true: that when you sit in idleness you ruin yourself, your resources disappear, and your self-respect vanishes. They had to learn the painful lesson that the only way to maintain themselves, even physically, let alone psychologically, was to go to work and stop ruining themselves. It would be much better, says the Searcher, to lower your expectations and choose a less ambitious lifestyle: Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind (Ecclesiastes 4:6). Yet so powerful is ambition and the desire to be envied that people actually keep working and toiling even when they have no one to leave their riches to: Again, I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. 'For whom am I toiling,' he asked, 'and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment'? This too is meaningless--a miserable business (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8)! How true! Some people keep on toiling although they have no one to work for and nothing to do with the money they make. They even deny themselves the pleasures of life in order to keep laying up funds. What a sharp example is given to us in the story of billionaire Howard Hughes. He did not know what to do with his money. His heirs, whom nobody can even identify for certain, are left to squabble over it. Such is the folly of toiling for riches. Lord, forgive me when the motive of my work is simply to be seen and recognized. Teach me to invest my life in that which matters. Life ApplicationTo what degree are admiration and ambition a driving force behind our activity in life? Do we need to redirect our motivation & resources to invest in things that matter? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 10, 2023 5:51:25 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 10TH
Two Are Better Than OneTwo are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12Someone may well say, It's true that people work out of a sense of ambition and a drive for admiration from others, but it is better to have companionship while doing so. The Searcher agrees and lists four advantages: First, it will increase the reward. Two really can live cheaper than one, and many people get married on that basis. During the Depression, there was a popular song that said, Potatoes are cheaper, tomatoes are cheaper, now's the time to fall in love. Many young people agreed with that and got married. But economics have changed. Today potatoes are dearer, tomatoes are dearer, but still, now is the time to fall in love, because you can combine your resources. Even the IRS recognizes the advantage of this by giving some tax breaks to married couples. Second, he says, a friend will provide help in time of trouble. If you get into difficulty, your friend or roommate will be there to help you. You have to have grown up in Montana to fully appreciate the third advantage! When the temperature is forty-below-zero outside, you understand what the Searcher means when he says, If two lie together, they are warm; but how can one be warm alone? Fourth, the presence of one or more others in your life makes defeat unlikely: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. While there are advantages in companionship, nevertheless, the Searcher's argument is that still it adds up to emptiness; it does not satisfy the sense of eternity that God has put in people's hearts. Many couples sit in loneliness, staring at a television screen for hours at a time or seek some other diversion to fill the emptiness and misery of their lives. No, companionship, though better than loneliness, is not the answer either. Lord, thank You for friends and family, those whom You have placed in my life to bring greater increase, help in times of trouble, and warmth in times of cold loneliness. Help me to be a friend as well as receive friendship. Life ApplicationCompanionship and fellowship are certainly advantageous in life. Does teamwork play an important role in our ministry or do we tend to go it alone? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Feb 11, 2023 5:23:23 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR FEBRUARY 11TH
Watch Your StepGuard your steps when you go to the house of God Ecclesiastes 5:1aLearn to let God be God; that is the first thing He declares to us. The lessons of life will fall into place when you learn that. God is in charge of life, so let Him be in charge; take these lessons from His hands. The place to learn that is in the house of God. When you go there, guard your steps; in other words, enter thoughtfully, expect to be taught something. In ancient Israel, of course, the house of God was the temple in Jerusalem. There sacrifices were offered, and the people were instructed about what they meant. There the Law was read, and the wisdom of God about life was given to people; this marvelous Old Testament was unfolded, with its tremendous insights into the truth about life, about what humanity basically and fundamentally is. The temple was the only place in the land where people could learn these things. In our day the house of God is no longer a building. We must be clear about that. You, the people, are the house of God. What the Searcher is saying is that when you gather together as the people of God, be expectant; there is something to be learned. Second, he says, listen carefully. A fool is somebody who glibly utters naive, ingenuous, and usually false things. What the Searcher clearly has in mind here is our tendency to complain and murmur about what has been handed us in life. When we gripe and grouse about our circumstances, we are really complaining against God. We are complaining about the choice God has made in His wonderful plan for our life. We will never learn to enjoy anything that way, not even our pleasures, let alone our pain. So, he says, listen carefully, for among the people of God the truth of God is being declared; the wisdom of God is being set forth. A man said to me, I have been going through a painful experience this past week. I learned to see myself, and it horrified me. I saw things in myself which I despise in others. That is encouraging. There is a man who is learning truth about himself. Lord, forgive me for my glib attitudes when I come into Your presence. Teach me to guard my steps and listen carefully to Your words. Life ApplicationWhat is the first thought that pops into our mind when we ask: Who is in charge? Have we learned to let God be God and to humbly inquire and listen to His wisdom? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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