“If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” Ecclesiastes 11:3,4 Are you guided by wisdom throughout your day? Has your life been marked by wisdom? Throughout life there are circumstances that cause uncertainty and doubt. Will you find guidance in wisdom? ”Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 11:7,8 Rejoice and know that wisdom governs all the days of your life. You will find joy in the lighthearted days and guidance in the days of darkness. Continue Reading…
Fear God and keep His commandments: Ecclesiastes 11 and 12
Cease striving and collapse into the loving arms of God: Ecclesiastes 9 and 10
Where are you going? Do you know the way? Why are you not there? Have you been distracted along the way? “The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!” Ecclesiastes 10:15-17 We are all sojourners traveling through this life but there are many who do not know where they have come from or where they are going. Do you know that God loves you? Do you know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins? This world entices us to become satisfied with the wares it offers. Do not be foolish and believe that this world is all that there is. We are all equally in need of God’s saving grace and we all must come to a point where we place our full trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Have you trusted in God’s saving grace. Continue Reading…
The all surpassing provision of God to save: Ecclesiastes 5 and 6
Do you have a bucket list of things that you aspire to do before you die? What is on that list? Do you want to travel the world, own a specific home, earn a prestigious title, or make an exact sum of money? Do you have any hope of crossing off items on the list? Anything that we strive to accomplish will be a fleeting fulfillment that leaves us bereft and wanting no matter how hard we toiled. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 There is nothing that we can acquire with our hands that will lift us out of our depravity into the life of fulfillment and wholeness we crave. Continue Reading…
Our inherent need fulfilled in the sovereignty of God: Ecclesiastes 1 and 2
Solomon, the son of David, was imparted with great wisdom beyond measure. This king of Jerusalem did not lack anything in his life. This life of Solomon is truly what many people today are striving to obtain. If I could just have more money, family, friends, and fulfillment I would be complete. We desire to surround ourselves with items that promise satisfaction for our every desire. Will you listen to the words of the man who had everything? What did Solomon think of life? ”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? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 The length and breadth of mans life is but a small ripple in the ocean of eternity. How do we reconcile the futility of our lives with the vastness of creation? What are we living for? Continue Reading…
God’s voice of wisdom calling out to you: Proverbs Summary
Wisdom abounds within the pages of Proverbs; no matter what circumstance you find yourself in you will find hope, direction, and help from the wisdom of Proverbs. Read through Proverbs and you will find that behind all of the experience and wisdom imparted there is a voice that is calling out for you to know it. The voice is that of God who is seeking to save you from your sinful existence. “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:3-7 Continue Reading…
Seek to live a life that is an abomination to the wicked: Proverbs 29 and 30
“Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!” Proverbs 30:4 Will you marvel at that wondrous creation of God? Know today that God is manifested through His handiwork in creating all things. Do not get too consumed with the things of this world because they are all passing away. To Agur son of Jakeh it was totally apparent and simple to know what mattered in life, “Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:7-9 Do desire that all falsehood and lying be removed from you? Do you desire only what is necessary to sustain you? Be vigilantly on guard and do not become so consumed with the world and its enticements so that you forget God.
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The boastful worldview is the path of foolishness: Proverbs 27 and 28
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” – (As You Like It, William Shakespeare) The prevalent view that is continually expressed by the world is one that exclaims that we are only here for a short time so we must be all that we can be. This worldview is in complete opposition against the ways of God. “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both. Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” Proverbs 27:1-6 Continue Reading…
The dynamics of the contentious and vexing woman: Proverbs 21 and 22
How many different ways are there to lose weight? Is one weight loss plan superior than another? It is guaranteed that there are differing weight loss views held by people which is attested to by the proliferation of books on the subject. “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice is desired by the lord more than sacrifice.” Proverbs 21:2,3 No matter the thoughts and intentions of mankind a way will never prove to bring true lasting fulfillment and hope. God looks upon the lives of men and He sees the intentions of every heart. There is no one that is able to hide their hearts from God. If you are motivated by righteousness and justice will there be strife? As we desire the things of God we will find great hope for tomorrow. Continue Reading…
Can we lay a claim on the things that he cannot see: Proverbs 17 and 18
How can we quantify and describe God’s refining work in the lives of mankind? Is refinement a simple process that tickles or causes joy and pleasure? “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.” Proverbs 17:3 Gold and silver are precious metals that we value to such extents that we dig deep beneath the surface of the earth to obtain them. After such great lengths to secure the gold and silver it is subjected to great heat to refine it. Proverbs 17 speaks of how God acts upon the hearts of men just as the refining pot refines silver or the furnace purifies gold. What does this mean? God is the only force that is capable of refining and purifying the corrupt hearts of men. There is no other source of purification for the lives of the men and women of the world. If this is true what impact should it have upon out lives? Should we care? Continue Reading…
Will you share the message of hope in wisdom: Proverbs 13 and 14
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, but the one who fears the commandments will be rewarded.” Proverbs 13:12,13 What do you hope in? Can any hope, birthed of human desire, lead to fulfillment? We always hope that tomorrow will be a better day than yesterday and today but there is no guarantee within our grasp that will give us any iota of assurance. Our prowess is proven to be inadequate, what do we do, what can we do? Do we finally give up and wallow in misery waiting to meet death upon the road of life?
When faced with such despair an unearthly inspiration and hope enlightens a way made for us that existed long before the feeling of need, want, or inadequacy set in within our souls. “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn aside from the snares of death.” Proverbs 13:14 The collective failures of people hopelessly treading the path of life, to only fall upon the path to die, find salvation abiding alongside them. There is an amazing transformation that impacts and repurposes the lives of people when Jesus Christ becomes their Lord and Savior. We learn that the journey that God has placed before us is part of a greater purpose and story written by Him. The failures we make today are the foundations of the wisdom we impart to our children’s. Are you imparting wisdom gleaned from failure to the future generations?
Why do we get so consumed with the journey of life and miss the wellspring of life and happiness that flows before us. “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, and the end of joy may be grief. The backslider in heart will have is fill of his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied with his. The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps.” Proverbs 14:12-15 Consider the path that you have chosen for your life. If you choose the path that is not sustained by the love of Jesus Christ you will find no hope or rest. You will only reap despair and uncertainty. ”The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. In a multitude of people is a king’s glory, but in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin. He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. A tranquil heart is life to the body, but passion is rottenness to the bones.” Proverbs 14:27-30 Do you fear God? Do you feel and inexplicable awe when you ponder the nature of God? Who are you? What defines you?
“Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, but in the hearts of fools it is made known.” Proverbs 14:33 Does wisdom rest within your heart? Will you abide in Jesus Christ? The life of devotion to God will be a signpost that shines brightly to the world proclaiming that hope exists and it desires to know them. Will you share the message of hope contained in wisdom?
