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May 31
A Balanced Life Read Ecclesiastes 3 Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. LIFE occurs between the two events, moving from moment to moment, birth to death. One way to look at those moments is to see them as chance or luck. We are born by chance, living in bad luck and good luck, and dying when our luck runs out. Another way is to see life’s moments as a plan from God. In this view we live our moments under God’s Word and his ways or not. One of the world’s many lies is, “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.” The truth is, God gives us life, and we can’t handle any of life properly without him. Proverbs defines how we are to respond to and be wise in nearly every type of life moment. What’s more, the Bible describes how God shows up in the sheep pen, on the battlefield, in the temple, in a manger, on a cross and in the church to “handle” our lives all the way home to heaven. And let’s remember, there is no Bible “hero” who could handle life without the God of Life directing him or her. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies gives us difficult life moments beyond our strength, so we will learn of his power to defeat the opposition and experience the joy of our salvation. Yes, God has caused us to be born. One day he will cause us to die. We can’t safely handle those two events or any other moments of life on our own. We must choose to abundantly live in him that we may safely die in him. Everything is Beautiful Ecclesiastes 3:11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. THE New Testament records “beautiful” used in several ways. Jesus, for example, declared a woman who generously poured expensive perfume over him to honor him, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” (Matthew 26:10) The Apostle Paul declared, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15) Stephen preached in Acts 7:20 “Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight.” See, too, the triumphant beauty of God’s new creation at the end of time: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2 NIV) When Solomon declared, “God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” he saw all of creation as God’s bride formed to be stunning, perfect, and holy under God’s hand. Solomon announced to the world that God had formed a magnificent universe, and he reminded the Hebrews how God had made them to be a joyful creation in his sight. Solomon also knew how beautiful it was to speak God’s Word. He had seen how people came from many nations to hear his wisdom. He knew God’s beautiful truth had acted to bring prosperity and peace to Judah. Indeed, everything, including our own lives joined with God, is beautiful because God has created all with eternity in mind. Read Ecclesiastes 7, 10-11
Ecclesiastes 10:10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. THERE is the familiar saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” That advice will work to a point, but Solomon’s advice is to get better at our “trying again” through sharpening our skills. We can all think of hard work we’ve done to accomplish a task, and then someone comes along to say, “Try it this way.” The sharpening advice opens our eyes to an easier, more efficient way. Sometimes we exclaim, “Why didn’t I think of that?” We wonder at our dullness. But let’s not be too critical of ourselves. No one can know all things. We must be humble to realize others’ advice can make us sharper in the ways we work and in knowing God. Being sharpened and sharpening is a necessary process in the Kingdom of God. Solomon also wrote, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) to awaken us to the need to receive wisdom and to share our wisdom with others as well. Moving God’s truths from person to person, generation to generation is essential to equipping minds to building storehouses of knowledge. Cutting wood is so much easier and efficient with a sharp ax. Living life is so much easier and joyful with a sharp mind on God’s truths. An Account to God Ecclesiastes 12:1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” ON occasion we are prone to say to a rebellious person, “Go ahead. Have fun. But remember you’ll regret it someday.” We really don’t want them to live outside the rules, do we? We know rebellion’s penalties of regret and shame. But we generally believe that our permission will lead one to learn the difficulties of a disobedient life. This will teach them wisdom to accept the right way. Solomon’s advice to youth is this kind of permission. He encouraged folly and self-focus with the purpose, “Your sin will lead to destruction.” If youth are not careful in their thoughts and actions, their later years will be years of mental strife and soul regret. Regret is a dark thread running through Ecclesiastes because Solomon has looked at God’s wisdom, and too often he preferred sin. His carnal desires exceeded reason. His wealth accumulation also causes today’s financial experts to look like mere amateurs. Heed the warning essential to a contented, rich life: Ecclesiastes 11:9b But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9:13-18
Ecclesiastes 1:18 The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. King Solomon has been a “heart-active” king. He wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:13 & 17 he wrote, “I devoted myself…so I set out to learn everything.” God had given him the wisdom to be a good, wise king, so he could teach his people how to live well. But Solomon’s wisdom surprisingly filled his heart with irritation. That is because the things Solomon learned as king greatly disturbed him. Amid his wealth, wisdom and power, Solomon learned he had no control over the pain and brokenness affecting his peoples’ lives. Mankind’s habit is to live in many ways that hurt and limit us. Our habits often prevent us from our full potential. Regardless of the wisdom and knowledge God offers us, we have trouble believing he really has our best interests in mind. “Does God really mean what he says?” our hearts ask. We are prone to pursue our own pleasure believing God’s commands restrict us. That was Adam and Eve’s issue, and it remains our barrier today. Imagine God is looking over your life right now in the way Solomon reviewed Israel. The sovereign Lord knows every single thing about all of us. He has formed us in his image with the purpose to reflect his holiness. He gave us all the knowledge we need to live a life contented in his commands. God’s the Good King, who is “heart-active” to lovingly lead his Kingdom. What do you think? Is he grieved, or is he pleased with what he sees? Enjoy Your Work Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. “I just want to be happy.” It’s a common goal for us, isn’t it? The world says it, “God wants you to be happy.” Really? Yes, it is true. God does want you to be happy. But let’s first know what happiness is not: It is not the enjoyment of some possession, activity or accomplishment. These moments can cause some temporary happiness. But soon we are looking for something else to make us happy. Happiness is the enjoyment of God’s favor, an obedience to God’s commands. The happy person submits to God’s purpose for your life. In short, happiness is knowing God’s grace and power guides your life. This is Solomon’s point. One must look at his work to see it is God’s blessing to him. When he accepts his work as a benefit God has added to his life, he will be content. He knows the essential goodness of his life isn’t in what he owns, but he sees the value of his possessions as evidence of God’s presence in his life. In the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11, Jesus declares we are happy – blessed – when we live to be as Jesus lived on earth. Happiness is striving toward Jesus. Happiness is knowing the LORD is guiding us to his home. Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, 3:18-22, 6:10-12, 9
Ecclesiastes 1:1 These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem. 2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” Ecclesiastes is another record of Solomon’s wisdom writing. He is the “Teacher” reflecting on many thoughts and emotions. God’s purpose through the Teacher is to lead one to know that everything outside of God is meaningless. Although Solomon was a man of immense God-given wealth and wisdom, Solomon strayed from God’s ways. In response, God gave a very disturbing vision to Solomon. Solomon saw that Israel under the kingdom of his son Rehoboam would be divided. Two nations, Judah containing the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and Israel, comprising the other 10 tribes, would split God’s people. Jeroboam would become the king of Israel. Solomon also saw that the glorious temple he had built would be destroyed. Then God showed him that Judah’s people would be sent into captivity. Solomon’s immediate family, the temple, his personal wealth and his county would be gone one day. Thus, Solomon responded as any one of us would if we knew all our life’s work would disappear one day. “Meaningless!” he declares. Why? Solomon knew it was his rejection of God’s law. Without the foundation of the LORD’s purpose and truth in his life, his entire earthly work was empty work. Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s plea for us to look to God for a meaningful life. All on earth will vanish. All in God will endure forever Love the One You’re With Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. MANY years ago a song by the title of this lesson was popular. It spoke of free love, enjoying another for a moment of self pleasure. But of course, this is not about “free love”, which is really very, very costly. Sadly, humanity has a great disregard for marriage. Too many people think casually “loving” anyone you are with is a way to happiness. The world offers an advanced degree in self-pleasure and selfish purpose. This is an odd thing because obvious evidence reveals that kind of “be happy” lifestyle leads to a meaningless life. So many, many people are lonely, longing for a true loving relationship because they have not learned how to truly love the one God has placed in their life. Listen, though, to Solomon’s advice. It is God’s foundation for a complete marriage. “Enjoy life with the wife (husband) whom you love.” How good it would be for couples to work each day to become more completely devoted to each other. Love the one who God has placed with you. Remember God said, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” (Genesis 2:24) Strive for this unity, and live joyfully in a good, loving relationship. Read 1 Kings 11
1 Kings 11:1-6 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. 2 The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. 3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. 4 In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. 5 Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done. YOU might say, “Solomon had a heart attack.” His heart seemed to completely stop beating for the LORD God. What contrast from 1 Kings 4 declaring the happiness and peace in Israel! You read there of Israel’s glory under a wise ruler. Now we read one of the Bible’s most tragic paragraphs. Solomon’s wisdom left him when it came to women. He heard God’s warnings and deliberately disobeyed. He worshiped idols and religions that killed babies and used temple prostitutes. These horrible cults cut and killed. They annulled the Creator to glorify nature. What manner of lust was in Solomon’s heart that he preferred women to the glorious LORD of hosts? Did he forget his warning to Israel: 1 Kings 8:61 And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God. May you always obey his decrees and commands, just as you are doing today.” Did he not believe God’s warning: 1 Kings 9:6-7 “But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, 7 then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. Apparently his wise heart stopped. Perhaps Solomon was as many of us; he thought he could have life both ways – his way and God’s way. Is this not sin? “I want.” “God wants.” “Let’s compromise. Surely God won’t mind giving me some of what I want, even if he says it’s wrong.” Too many Christians and too many churches today act the same as Solomon. They’ve replaced “God correct” with “politically correct” or “socially correct” and wonder why so many live the wrong way. Despite the Holy Bible’s truth and devoted teachers throughout the ages, there are too many churches who act the worldly fool. And a lesson worth repeating is that the sin seldom stops with the sinner. God did as he promised. He removed his blessing from Solomon’s family to come. With a very clear illustration of a divided nation, God plainly spoke rebellion and division into Israel’s future. The nation came to suffer generations of separation, warfare, idolatry and exile. Now the peace is ending and the time of the Prophets is about to begin. Israel will be in deep opposition to God because Solomon neglected God’s warning. This is a sad way to leave Solomon. But we can still know God powerfully used this man, his gifts and his reign to demonstrate God’s power on earth. As we look to the many people God used to fulfill his covenant of salvation for us, we praise His Name. We thank God he forgives and forgets our sins as we are faithful to repent and confess. Be diligent to love God as you remain in his commands. John 15:10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. Proverbs 6:23-26 For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life. 24 It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman. 25 Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you. 26 For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life. Read Psalm 127, Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon 2:10-15 My lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. 12 Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” WE have this one lesson in Song of Solomon, also called the Song of Songs. Some look at this entire book as a metaphor to describe Israel’s and then the church’s relationship with the LORD. This makes sense because God has formed the human heart to love him and to love others. He has also formed humans to be very intimate creatures, expressing great love toward him and toward a spouse. Marriage is to be the world’s view of a true love relationship with God. But the evidence of this romantic poem is more correct to see this as a love song between Solomon and a Shulammite, a young virgin woman. A third voice, “Daughters of Jerusalem” could be the woman’s friends or possible wedding party. Some believe she is Pharoah’s daughter Solomon married. We’ll look at this Scripture in light of both human and God’s love. Song of Solomon can be an expression of loving God. But more so, it is a celebration of sexual love. Love awakens. Springtime is often used in poetry to emphasize emerging beauty and life. This is a new relationship. Falling in love can be a new season of life as we experience the world with a refreshed view. How good to know the winter is past. Flowers bud and blossom, doves coo, announcing spring’s arrival. Fig trees put forth their early fruit. Grape vines blossom, spreading their fragrance just before the grapes appear. Spring becomes vibrant through sight, sound, taste, and smell. We know these two love each other because they desire to be together. Love is a catalyst for a couple to find time to be alone – even after and especially when you are married! Solomon likened his beloved to a dove that hides in caves out of the light, hesitant to join him in the countryside. He urged her to leave her home, to come and join him in a loving relationship. “Come” begins and ends this invitation. The one who loves invites the one he loves. Is this also an illustration of the Lord Jesus’ invitation inviting you into a “spring-like” life of sensory and physical joy with him? Might obeying Jesus’ love command, “Come, follow me.” open your life to new experiences of special wonder? Yes, it’s true. In a God-based relationship, we can see God intimately at work in our emotions. Reading through the Song of Solomon will help you grasp the high value on true human love. Loving our beloved is loving God. There is nothing more stimulating than a God-based love. True love fulfills one another. Truly loving God fulfills your life. One More Note: See the reference to the fig tree having fruit in March. Many have criticized the passage in Matthew 17:18-19 where Jesus cursed the fruitless fig tree at the Passover feast, which is in spring. It is said that fig tress did not have fruit then, so Jesus shouldn’t have expected it. But the Creator knows his creation. Small edible buds or late ripening fruit from the previous year were common on the early spring trees. Proverbs 30:7-8 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. 8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither overtly nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
MOM’s perplexed at the dinner table. Larry, the little one, picks at his food. Mom knows he’ll be hungry later, and she’ll need to help him find some food, if possible. Tom, her oldest, eats too much. He’s overweight. Mom wonders how she’ll get him to eat less. He’s always after more. And Millie, in the middle, eats what she needs, no more, no less. Mom has no concerns about Millie. This is life, isn’t it? Too little for some, too much for others, just right for many. The Wisdom Writer offers to us a great prayer to live “just right”. Some people think it’s fine to pick at life—never having the right job or right relationships, they are often poor. They rely on others to help them and are a burden on family, friends and society. And being rich is fine, but sometimes it makes us “fat”. We consume too much and focus our efforts on getting more. There is no time for joy and pleasant thoughts while we work for more than we need. Too many possessions often causes and empty heart and unsatisfied soul. In contrast, others live satisfied lives. They do what they must do to earn a good living. They have time for friends and family. They appreciate all they have. They use things wisely and protect its value. “Give me neither overtly nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.” is a healthy prayer for all of us. Pray it often and trust God to bless you with a “just right” life. A Virtuous Woman Proverbs 31:10 A Wife of Noble Character 10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. If you husbands desire to give your wife a great gift, write out Proverbs 31:10-31 and tell her, “This is you, Sweetheart.” And ladies, do you want to feel good about yourself? Read these verses and consider the blessings of virtue. Apply them to your life and know God’s presence is enriching your life. I know women of virtue. I’m married to one. My mother was one. My daughter is one. My daughter-in-law is one. I say this humbly with gratitude toward God for blessing me with such women in my family. I also know women of virtue in our church and from other churches in my life. I see women of virtue in the community. Such women are easy to recognize. They confess Christ in their lives. They have joy in their lives. They praise the Holy Spirit in their thoughts. They love God, and that love extends to their family, their church, their friends, their work and their neighbors. Yes, virtue is easy to spot. Virtue shines. Virtue glows. Virtue gives a woman a reputation of love and peace in her life. Here are two final comments as we close Proverbs. First, consider these words as God’s law. The wisdom in these chapters defines God’s rules for living well in his will. Pick three or four and learn them as you would the commandments. Write them on your heart to help your heart love God and love others. Second, memorize those you a have chosen. This is a challenge for me, too. It will be good to write some of these words on our minds for ready and effective use. Keep them before you, and you’ll be surprised how easily God makes them available to you when you need them the most. As you continue on in the Bible, please consider how God is transforming your mind to him. You might not think it is happening, but it is. You can’t spend time in God’s Word without it changing you in some way. Proverbs 26:4-5 Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are. 5 Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation.
THIS made me wonder, “Is God speaking from both sides of his mouth?” No, of course not. Only a fool would say that! But there are plenty of fools in the world who could use a passage such as this to say, “Your God doesn’t know what he is saying.” What God is conveying through the wisdom writer is this: When someone speaks to you foolishly, do not engage in the same kind of foolish talk. It is easy to get caught up in an argument for the sake of arguing. We want to defend our position, even if we have no position. That’s our foolish nature. Instead, God instructs us to respond to the foolish argument with wisdom. For example, someone might tell you how ridiculous your clothes look. Do not respond to that person with your opinion of something you can criticize about her. More foolish talk only multiplies the problem. The only direction such an exchange will go is a destructive downward spiral to conflict. You don’t want to do that. It is a useless waste of time. Instead, you would respond wisely to her with words of kindness about something positive you see in her. Tell her how nice she looks. Find something pleasant about the other person and compliment her. In other words, you would elevate the conversation out of criticism into thankfulness and praise. When you do so, the “foolish talker” may come to an understanding that her words are harmful. And hopefully she will change her foolish speech to wisdom. If she doesn’t, there’s nothing you can do about her words. But you can always be wise and control your own speech, your own thoughts and your own actions toward others. Know God’s wisdom to respond correctly. Overall, people will come to trust you. In you they will see a Godly person who knows self-control. Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. (Proverbs 16:32) The world needs to see godly people act as God. How else will they know how good God is if you don’t show them? Perhaps the Spirit will use your good counsel to transform a foolish heart. Proverbs 25:13-15 Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer. They revive the spirit of their employer. 14 A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain. 15 Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.
I had invited someone to help me with a project at my home. The plan was to finish the work then have some time for a little recreation and maybe a snack with my friend. I wanted to reward him for his help. But he didn’t come. I talked to him later. He said it hadn’t worked out as he had thought it would. He wondered if he could come later. But I had completed the work and no longer needed him. I was disappointed he had not lived into his commitment. I missed his help and most of all, I missed the lost time with him. Apparently he didn’t value me or the opportunity for us to be together. It was easy to judge and even condemn him. But then I thought, “Have I ever done that to God? What do I do when God asks me to serve him in some way I hadn’t planned?” And I wondered, “What do I do when a neighbor wants me to help him?” Surely I’ve responded to both God and my neighbor with, “Not now. I’m busy.” How do we avoid being empty clouds and wind that bring no rain? It’s easy to say, “When God invites, go. Don’t disappoint the LORD God. He’s said, ‘Come!’ So get going. He’ll find someone else. And you’ll miss out on his treats.” But it’s not so easy to do is it? Hearing God’s invitation, “Come, follow me.” is a critical moment in our earthly life. To say, “No.” you are rebelling against God. But in our hearts, we may feel it’s a better choice than giving up our current life to do something that makes us uncertain, uncomfortable and even afraid. We know how God promises blessings to those who follow him; yet, we find those blessings obscure when placed against the realities in our lives right now. It is easy to say to God, “It didn’t work out this time. Maybe later.” God knows our hearts are often reluctant to join him. It is our nature to say, “Later.” That’s why he has a person to help us say, “Yes, LORD. I’m coming now.” He’s the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity is in the world and in you if you are a Christian. He is with us to empower you to faithful living. You will find him in prayer and in God’s Word. He will be an encouraging voice from a Christian friend or someone you’ve never met. He will use the preaching and teaching of his Word to open your ears and heart to listen, so you can joyfully join God wherever he calls you to be with him. Jesus knew his apostles would be very afraid to begin the ministry he commanded them to do throughout the world. That’s why he sent the Spirit to them. Jesus left the world, so the Spirit could come. That’s why the Spirit is with you today. Recognize you have the power of the Holy God at your disposal. Be at rest and in peace the Spirit will lead you on your journey to experience the joy of joining with God. Life with God is the best treat of all. Proverbs 20:7 The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.
FOR all you parents out there, for all who want to be a mother or father, here is the key to family security. Here’s the simple rule of parenting. Here’s the essential truth of being a good person to guide your children to a secure and good life: You walk with integrity. Integrity is about knowing the right way and living into it. Integrity is Jesus, who came to serve and served unto the cross. We can follow him because we know he lived into his Word in the most powerful way possible. The Son of God gave his life unto a bone-crushing cross to demonstrate his love and commitment to you. This is why the apostles would give their lives for him. They knew Jesus’ integrity in the most personal way possible. He had spoken to them of the Kingdom. Then he lived into his Word. The Servant of all is the King of all. You can trust his Word because he has lived it all. Integrity is being honest. It is living truthful to your words. Integrity is doing what you say you will do. How many people have you stopped trusting because they lacked integrity? They couldn’t keep their word or complete what they told you they would do. You don’t believe people like that after a while, and you stop listening to them. Parents, it is the same with your children. Are they tired of listening to you because you do not live out what you say? Do they see a lack of commitment to them and to your words? Or can they count on you to be true in word and deed? Can they trust you will live your life with the same words you use to instruct them? When parents faithfully live in their own discipline of their children, they will more likely have children who love and obey them. Here are other proverbs to encourage integrity:
Be honest and do what is right. God will open the door to a great life for you, your family and generations to come. |
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