SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/24/2013
8:54 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Look Within: Eternity Is in Your Heart
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Eccl. 3:9-14
Spiritual meaning
of the verses: Here is what Dr.
Wiersbe writes at the beginning of this section: “The Preacher adjusted his sights and no
longer looked at life only ‘under the
sun.’ He brought God into the picture
and this gave him a new perspective. In
verse 9, he repeated the opening question of 1:3, ‘Is all this labor really
worth it?’ In the light of ‘new evidence,’
Solomon gave three answers to the question.”
Man’s life is a gift from God (vs. 9-10): “9 What profit is there to the worker from
that in which he toils? 10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of
men with which to occupy themselves. I
do not suppose that at all times in my life that I have looked upon life as a
gift from the Lord. I think from the
study of God’s Word and especially the characters that are in His Word that I
can better understand how life is a gift from God. When I experience hardships then that is the
easiest time to think that life is not a gift from the Lord, but how else can
one explain life than if it is not a gift from the Lord. Having this attitude makes it easier to carry
on.
Man’s
Life is Linked to Eternity (Eccl. 3:11): “11 ¶ He has made everything appropriate in its
time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find
out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” The KJV uses the word “beautiful” instead of “appropriate”
which the NASB uses. John MacArthur
writes the following on this section from his Study Bible: “The phrase echoes ‘God saw….it was good’
(Gen. 1:31). Even in a cursed universe,
activity should not be meaningless. Its
futility lies in the fickle satisfaction of man and his failure to trust the
wisdom of sovereign God.” He goes on to explain the next phrase “set eternity
in their heart” with the following “God made men for His eternal purpose, and
nothing in post-Fall time can bring them complete satisfaction.” I think that it would be good to quote
Augustine again for this situation: “Because
God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.”
Man’s Life can be enjoyable now
(Eccl 3:12-14): “12 I know that there is nothing better for them
than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks
sees good in all his labor-it is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will remain
forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it,
for God has so worked that men should fear Him.”
Life sometimes seems to cause us
unhappiness, but we must remember that when we live for Him and let Him have
His way, life is meaningful and is also manageable. Dr. Wiersbe says “Instead of complaining
about what we don’t have, let’s enjoy what we do have and thank God for it.”
Solomon is not promoting what the
song says “Don’t worry—Be happy,” for that is like having faith in faith, and
not having faith in God. Faith is only
as good as its object, and God is the best and only object to have faith in. It seems that Solomon is figuring out that God
does want us to be happy with the gifts that He has given to us, that we are to
enjoy them, but that we will eventually find our true happiness in and with
Him. I suppose that if you had all of
the things that Solomon had including being the wisest and richest man ever to
live that there would be times when you would not look to God for
happiness. I believe that as believers
we have to be thinking more about the Giver of the gifts than of the gifts that
the Giver has given to us and Solomon is figuring this out from all of the experiments
that he has conducted.
Dr. Wiersbe concludes “The proper
attitude for us is the fear of the Lord (vs.14), which is not the cringing of a
slave before a cruel master, but the submission of an obedient child to a
loving parent. (See 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13;
and 12:13.) If we fear God, we need not
fear anything else for He is in control.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: When I
look at God being in control of all things I see attributes of God, His being
all powerful, and also His wisdom to work all things out for my good and His
glory.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust God who is all powerful and all wise to
give me the directions that I should go.
Memory
verse for the week: Mark 14:8
8
Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is
willing but the flesh is weak.
Answer
to yesterday’s Bible Question: “Here am
I.” (Ex. 3:4)
Today’s
Bible Question: “What did the people of
Ephesus do with their books of witchcraft to show that they had turned to God.”
Answer
in Tomorrow’s SD.
4/24/2013
10:56 AM
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