Tag Archives: Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

22 Monday Jan 2018

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There is a saying we are all familiar with, “Timing is everything”, and in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Solomon clearly gives us hope to know God has a perfect plan for those who believe and follow Him.

1  There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

God’s plan and timing are perfect. The key is to learn to find peace and comfort in waiting on God’s plan. It may not be what we want at the time, but it is perfect.

Ecclesiastes 1

05 Friday Jan 2018

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As we begin the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon shares his mindset in Ecclesiastes 1:2, “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” These words came from a man who literally had everything. Even after he had mastered everything anyone could every want, he realized it meant nothing in the end. I think one of the biggest realizations for Solomon was what really mattered in life is not new. The desires of our heart are the same throughout all generations. The requirements we all have to live our lives and be happy are the same. In Ecclesiastes 1:9 Solomon says, What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Truer words have never been spoken. We all want the same thing whether we lived 3,000 years ago or today. We all want to be loved and respected and feel like our lives mean something. In the end, our lives are meaningless unless they mean something in the light of eternity. Without God and living in accordance to His perfect plan, our lives take on lesser importance. Francis Chan mentions in his book “Crazy Love” that most of us may be remembered by our kids and grand kids. We may even be mentioned to others by our great grand kids. But very few of us will be remembered beyond that. Our hope should be that our lives have an indirect impact on others and the only way that can truly happen is through service that bring people to salvation and an eternal relationship with God.

Ecclesiastes

29 Friday Dec 2017

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We finished Ephesians yesterday after several month of leisurely study. I have been thinking about which book of the Bible I would like to study next and Ecclesiastes came to mind. The first time I read the book was while I was reading through the Bible in a year. When I came across this book, I was in awe by the overall theme Solomon was trying to convey to the reader, which is that life is meaningless apart from God. This coming from a man, a ruler, who by all accounts (and even in today’s dollar), would be considered the richest man to ever live. By some calculations Solomon would have been worth over $1.2 Trillion, $40 to $60 Billion in gold alone (depending where you place the value of gold at the time). Somehow, even this man, the wisest and richest among all men clearly states throughout the book of Ecclesiastes that everything is “Meaningless”. I hope to learn more about Solomon and hope to understand his perspective as a man who had everything, but realized all he really needed was God. I’ll begin this study on January 1, 2018.

Ephesians 6:1-4

14 Thursday Dec 2017

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True faith in Christ and a changed heart will first be exhibited in the home through the relationships with the people who know us best. As a father of three, Ephesians 6:4 speaks loudest to me, Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in training and instruction of the Lord. As parents we sometimes turn into mini dictators trying to control every aspect of our children’s lives. But here Paul tells us to raise our children through Christ’s instructions. What is good for our lives is also good for our kids. If they do not live through the instruction of the perfect teacher, then we are a poor alternative.

Ephesians 4:29-32

10 Friday Nov 2017

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So many of us (myself especially) are too quick to give our opinions without completely thinking about the impact our words have on others. Paul warns us in Ephesians 4:29, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. If our words do not impact others in a positive way, we should rethink what we have to say. While there is a time to correct and instruct, we should still take great care in what we say and how we say it.

Ephesians 4:25-28

02 Thursday Nov 2017

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We are supposed to live in communion with one another, but there are times it feels like there is more separation than anything else. This is not just believer/non-believer relationships, it exists within the body of Christ’s church as well. In Ephesians 4:25 Paul reminds the Ephesian church to get past the areas of false teaching and disagreement and remember we are all part of the same community. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Nothing bothers me more than Christian believers arguing with one another. We need to stop majoring on the minors and find where God truly wants us to focus our attention and efforts for His kingdom.

Psalm 144

14 Monday Aug 2017

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In Psalm 144:4 David reminds us, Man is like a breath; his days are like fleeting shadow. This is very similar to James 4:14 where it says, “…You are a midst that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” God never promised us eternal life here on earth; He promised it with Him in eternity. But God did place us here on earth for a purpose. Let us not waste our time on inferior endeavors that have little to no impact in the light of eternity. Let us live our life with purpose, constantly seeking God’s will for our lives.

Psalm 141

05 Saturday Aug 2017

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On average, a person opens their mouth over 700 times per day to speak. In Psalm 141:3 David wisely asked God to guard his mouth from speaking evil, Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Jesus was the perfect example of keeping silent when He was being persecuted before He was crucified. We would all be wise to ask God to guard our mouths to speak wisely and in a way that would honor Him.

Psalm 127

29 Thursday Jun 2017

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Today’s Psalm was written by the wisest man that ever lived, King Solomon. And true to form, his words of wisdom speak volumes in Psalm 127:1, Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen guard in vain. Accomplishments in this life mean nothing unless they come from the Lord and are done for His glory. With few exceptions, most of our accomplishments will be forgotten within a few generations of our passing. Wouldn’t it be better to accomplish things that have meaning for eternity?

Psalm 125

27 Tuesday Jun 2017

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When we have repented and turned our way from evil, wisdom should tell us to walk away from temptation that can lead us back into sin. Psalm 125:3 says, The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. Once we have entered into righteousness, let us be smart enough to stay away from the triggers reminding us of our sin and the things that could lead us back into sin. We should be diligent to ask God for his protection from temptation and the strength to stay away. Let us fill out time, hearts, and desire with the things that please God and have an impact on the eternal.