Month: August 2013

And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.” Ecclesiastes 9:16 HCSB

We tend to respect and listen to those who are wealthy and well educated. Our society tends to value attractiveness and success more than wisdom. When someone who is poor speaks, we seem to ignore him because we do not think he has anything of value to say. Just because someone does not have higher learning or great wealth does not mean he does not have words of wisdom.

Solomon reminds us in this verse that wisdom is better than strength and a few verses later states that wisdom is better than weapons of war. We should seek wisdom because it is greater than anything we can obtain. Wisdom can come from the rich, poor, educated, or uneducated. Just be observant; there are people who can provide words of wisdom all around us.

Challenge: Seek wisdom from all different types of people. Wisdom will help you in everything you do. Even though there is value in exercising your body and gaining strength, it is even better to exercise your mind and gain wisdom from those who have gone before you.

Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your strength, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. Ecclesiastes 9:10 HCSB

I serve as the Minister of Education and Administration at my church and truly enjoy my job. Our church is a wonderful place to work. The people are gracious and frequently express love for our church and staff. Working with my pastor and staff is a rich blessing and I feel we make a good team. I have enjoyed being in ministry as a profession and can look back over the years to see how God has allowed me to be a part of some very exciting and fulfilling ministries.

Solomon’s words in this verse are very similar to the words of Paul. “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23) and “Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11). We all should realize that our jobs are gifts from God and we should perform them with excellence.

Challenge: Thank God for your job. Do your job whole-heartedly with sincerity as though you were working for the Lord. Whatever you do, do it with all your strength and ability. Look for ways to use your job to bring honor and glory to God.

Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:9 HCSB

I am very fortunate to have a wonderful wife who is also my best friend. She has always been there for me through the good and the bad times. She has been my partner in ministry, a great mother to our four children, and is now a wonderful grandmother to our two grandchildren. God has been very good to give me a good wife to share all the days of my life. I look forward to the years ahead as we grow old together.

In addition to this verse, Solomon also wrote a proverb about marriage. “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22). He also wrote about the virtues of a wife in Proverbs 31. We all should appreciate the companion God has given us.

Challenge: Do something today to let your spouse know that you love and appreciate her. Look for ways to strengthen your marriage such as attending a marriage enrichment conference. Thank God for your mate. If not married, pray that the marriages of your friends and neighbors would be strengthened.

Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works. Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head. Ecclesiastes 9:7-8 HCSB

When my oldest son got married I purchased a tuxedo to wear since I was privileged to be the officiating minister. I also assumed I would need it a few more times since I have four children. I wore it again for my oldest daughter’s wedding, but most of the time it hangs in storage in my closest. There is seldom an occasion to wear it. Both of my daughters wore beautiful white wedding gowns on the day they wed and they both looked radiant, but their dresses now hang in our guest room closet. It is a shame that we do not have more joyful occasions to wear these clothes. We wear certain clothes to celebrate and others for work. Our clothes are often a reflection of our inner attitudes.

Solomon encouraged people to enjoy their lives. Since death was a certainty, he instructed them to eat, drink, and enjoy the time they had to live. He encouraged them to wear white, which was in contrast to the sackcloth and ashes that one would wear when mourning. White clothes and oil on the head were signs of joy, blessings, and celebration. Solomon was not suggesting a life filled with party and folly, but rather that one should enjoy the time God had given him to live.

Challenge: Life is good! Enjoy it! Thank God for His abundant blessings and for the time you have here on earth. Ask Him to help you use your time wisely and to bring honor and glory to Him.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live – after that they go to the dead. Ecclesiastes 9:3 HCSB

There is one sure thing in life – everyone is going to die. We don’t know when we will die, but death is a certainty for everyone. Only God knows the days of our lives. Psalm 139:16 says, “ All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” God is in control; He has a plan for each of our lives.

Solomon referred to death as an “evil”. He also saw the hearts of people as evil because they are filled with madness, foolishness, and insanity. Each of us is given a certain number of days to live. God is so in control that we will not live a day longer or shorter than what God has planned for us. The question is, “How will we use the days He has given us here on earth?” God knows what is best and has a perfect plan, but it is our choice to follow or reject Him and His plan for our lives.

Challenge: God is interested in details. He is interested in your life and its every detail. He knows the valleys and mountain top experiences of your life and He will be with you in every event if you will only yield to His plan for you. How will you use the time God has given you?

I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it, even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it. Ecclesiastes 8:17 HCSB

I remember visiting Southwestern Electric in Amarillo, Texas back in the 1980’s with a member of our church who worked there to view the computer room, then filled with gigantic computers. It was amazing, but I was even more amazed when a few years later I purchased a Commodore 128 computer for my home. At the time I was astonished at what it could do and believed it would have all of the capabilities my family would ever need. It had 128 kilobytes of memory. I am writing this devotional on an Apple computer that has 4 gigabytes of memory. That would be the equivalent to 4,194,304 kilobytes or 32,768 Commodore 128 computers. I do not completely understand how a computer works, but I am thankful for the ability to compose my devotions and send them out electronically each day.

Man will never fully understand the power and ability of God. It is beyond our comprehension or imagination. We do not have to completely understand God, but we must trust Him. God is in control and we do not have to worry about what is going to happen or why something happens. Just as we do not have to understand a computer to benefit from its power, we do not have to understand God’s ways to be able to tap into His awesome power and wisdom.

Challenge: The next time you use your computer, be reminded that God is more powerful and has more ability than any computer in the world. Our most powerful computer today would be like a Commodore 128 in comparison to the power and ability of God. Trust God with your life and direction. He knows what is best for you.

Although a sinner commits crime a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before Him. Ecclesiastes 8:12 HCSB

Throughout my life I have observed godly people who seem to have one trouble after another, and I have also observed wicked people who seem to have many blessings. It seems that life is not fair. At times I have even questioned God’s sovereignty and asked why there seems to be a lack of justice in our world.

Solomon had observed the same injustice in his time. No one has all the answers to why things happen the way they do. Injustice is not the final outcome. Ultimately God is in control and will bring justice in every situation in His time. We must trust God, the One who has all the answers to life’s questions. God is working to bring good in every situation, even though we may not understand it.

Challenge: Trust God even when you do not understand. When you observe the injustices of the wicked being blessed and the godly suffering, tell God that you don’t understand but that you trust Him to bring good out of every situation. You may never fully understand the ways of God, but you can trust Him because He loves you and would not allow more on you than you can handle. Ask Him to use the difficulties you are experiencing to bring honor and glory to Him.

Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Ecclesiastes 7:16 HCSB

Since I played competitive golf in college, I had to know and understand the rules of golf. Some rules can be very confusing, such as when a play requires a stroke penalty and when a play requires a stroke and distance penalty. It depends if the ball lands out of bounds or is just in a hazard. Where the ball crossed the hazard line also determines where one plays his next shot. It is important to play by the rules, especially in competitive golf. But there are times while playing informally with some friends we may take an extra shot or just count a penalty stroke instead of going back to the original location and playing again.

It seems odd that Solomon would issue a warning about being excessively righteous and overly wise. He previously said that wisdom was to be valued like an inheritance and everyone should strive to be righteous. Solomon in this reference was describing the person who was so caught up in keeping the rules and regulations that he failed to understand the importance of having a relationship with God, much like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. Someone might be wise and have factual knowledge but lack common sense and understanding of the importance of having a relationship with God. It is important to be righteous and wise but not to the point of failing to live a godly life.

Challenge: Do not fall into the trap of trying to be “good enough” to get to heaven by abiding by a strict set of laws and regulations. Salvation and forgiveness are acquired by grace, which is a free gift from God that we cannot earn. No one can be righteous or wise outside of God. Seek God and His ways in everything you do. Ask God to help you to be a righteous and wise person by His standards.

Consider the work of God for who can straighten out what He has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man cannot discover anything that will come after him. Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 HCSB

I am on vacation this week and enjoying some time at the beach with family. It is always amazing to see how beautiful and vast the ocean is. It is relaxing to walk along the beach and feel the sand between my toes and listen to the waves crashing in on the beach. I really enjoy watching the sunrise or sunset over the ocean. The beauty of the rays breaking through the clouds and the graduated shades of blue and pink glowing on the clouds is breath-taking. God has put everything in place and order. If I wanted to stop the waves or the sunrise, I could not. God is in control.

Solomon asks us to consider the work of God. We cannot change what He has done. There are days when everything goes well and other days when it seems that problems are around every corner. Life is filled with uncertainty, but God is in control and knows what is best for us. Many times we do not understand the ways of God but we must trust Him because He is a loving God and will always bring good out of the bad. We may never have a full understanding until we get to heaven and see things from God’s perspective.

Challenge: Enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and know that just as God has put everything in order in creation, He has also put everything in order in your life – both the good and the bad. Trust Him even when you don’t understand. He is in control.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance and an advantage to those who see the sun, because wisdom is protection as money is protection, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner. Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 HCSB

Some people hope for a large inheritance from a family member and others hope they will be able to leave a sizable inheritance to their children or family members. One of my favorite movies is called “The Ultimate Gift”. It tells a story of a rich man who died and how his inheritance was split among his relatives who subsequently quarreled over it. The bulk of the story is about one young man and what was required of him in order to earn his inheritance. It is an excellent movie I would highly recommend.

Solomon said that wisdom was just as great as an inheritance. In Solomon’s time the possessions of someone who died were always passed down to family members with the oldest son getting the bulk of the inheritance. Many generations lived together, so it was important to the livelihood of the family to receive an inheritance. It is equally important to receive wisdom. It is as vital as money. Wisdom will protect one and give him life.

Challenge: Seek the “Ultimate Gift” – wisdom instead of an inheritance or money. It will provide direction and purpose for your life. Rent or purchase the movie, “The Ultimate Gift” to view.