We are having real problems with this blog site. That may be what the title will refer to! We certainly hope not. But here we go…If you’ve been reading Ecclesiastes in your Bible, you have been on such a great journey with good old King Solomon through the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the nooks and crannies of life itself. Life poses many questions indeed. Those of us from Washington State just agonize with our neighbors in Oso, north of Seattle near Darrington, with the horrendous results of a massive mudslide…killing untold, ruining property and hopes and dreams for people who may not have even known what hit them. Why? Why them? Why innocent children and playful pets? Just pause to think about all the questions we have in our lives. Why? When? How? We all ask them, these questions without decent answers. I’ve known people, well-meaning people, some very intelligent, some strong believers who just seem to have glib answers for everything, and I never enjoy being around them.Sorry about that. Like being shoved up against a brick wall. Maybe I envy their easy answers. Maybe I’d like to be satisfied with 2+2=, well you know what. I seem to come up with 5! Am I the only one who has a square peg for that proverbial round hole? I don’t think so. Simple answers don’t fit with Solomon in his book of Ecclesiastes either. But what is his conclusion?…here comes verse 13 of chapter 12. It’s wonderful. It’s says so much to me. Like saying don’t get hung up on those infernal questions. No, ‘fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.’ As you probably know, the word ‘fear’ is better translated to our overly- delicate and sensitive ears as ‘worship’. Revere the Lord, bow down before Him, treat Him with the greatest respect and affection. Yes, fear, as He is God Almighty, He is powerful, He is an Awesome God .But here the meaning is closer to just sitting at His feet and listening to Him, obeying Him and this is our ‘whole duty’. Think I’ll stop here for today…I’ve got a story to tell that will be for another time, Lord willing. Please pray that we’ll work thru these problems with our website…such is life. If this is our conclusion, Worship Him, listen to Him, obey Him…that covers it all…Over and hopefully not out!
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GOADS AGAIN OR MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Once again I titled my blog and then made absolutley no reference to it in the body of the text. Bad boy! But actually I was leading up to it and now after 3 freeze outs on the computer I hope to complete the thought today. My wife is a life-saver tech person! Otherwise, someone may have found a laptop floating in the creek outside our porch!! Not really. But just maybe…! This just goads me…there’s the word for today. It can be found in Eccles. 12:11(I use the NIV translation in almost all my blogs) where Solomon says under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that “the words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails–given by One Shepherd.” Like goads…a sharp metal tip attached to a wooden handle. A goad was used to keep the cattle moving in the right direction. By a shepherd to keep the flock together and not wander off into dangerous and useless places. We as Christians know that the Bible is God’s love letters to us. But some portions seem more like tough love, with an edge to its meaning, a prod and poke to keep moving in God’s direction instead of way off in never,never land of trials and troubles which I can stumble into with no help from anyone else at all. I marvel at how easily and quickly I get off course. It’s true that I have a terrible sense of direction. Just ask anyone in my family. Actually, a few are snickering right now. Terrible to have smart-alecks in the family!! But seriously, with no effort at all, and I’m off course far from God and His ways. Did I hear an ‘amen’…I mean, about your life as well? I thought I heard you! The Bible couldn’t be clearer…’we have ALL sinned and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). And ‘all’ means all. Period. So, when you feel that goad from the Bible, ok, wince a bit but then let the Lord move you back where He wants you to be. Turn to 2 Timothy 3:16 (another 3:16!)where the Apostle Paul writes to young pastor Timothy that ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…’ The Apostle is saying that the Bible, in its entirety from God, will teach and train us. And in addition like a goad it will rebuke and correct. Don’t be surprised if the Bible, which I hope you are reading every day, stings a bit at times. There are places in all our lives where we put out the ”do not disturb” sign! There are issues in our society and churches right now that will require us stand up and stand firm on the Word of God taking the name-calling and ridicule that will come our way. Get ready. The One Shepherd has spoken…His words are likefirmly embedded nails…words that act like goads keeping us on God’s good path. Are you ready? Stand up…speak up…
GOADS AND ALL! Read Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
Here we are now at the conclusion of Solomon’s wise advice we call the book of Ecclesiastes. Not just his advice but the wisdom of Almighty God found only in the entire Bible that God has graciously given to us. The Bible is a gift of love from Him to us. It’s a love story, a cache of love letters to be cherished and read and re-read. It’s fresh and alive with new meaning every time we sit at its feet and listen and delve into and struggle with. The Bible is God’s inspired Word from beginning to end. In Eccles. 12, verse 11 Solomon says that these collected sayings are like ‘firmly embedded nails’, not easily removed. Ever try to get out a nail that just won’t budge and is set so deep it just will not come out? Your Bible and mine are like those nails…firm and sure and holding great weight. There’s more… verse 10 says that the Bible speaks ‘just the right words’. And that the words you read there are ‘upright and true’. Wow! In a time when every body’s opinion seems so empty and vapid and suspect and just plain shallow and stupid, here comes the Word above all words…from God Himself! Doesn’t that make you just want to spend even more time with Him in His Word? Does for me. I want more…of God’s Word. I want to know more of His thinking. I want more…of Him! That’s a preview of heaven we can have right here on earth. Sounds good to you? Does to me. Then, go for it. Get more into His Word. Open that Bible, blow off the dust, write in the margins, dog-ear the pages. It’s your Bible. Don’t worry, be happy! Read it and believe it and ask for more insight from the author, the Holy Spirit. He promises to give that to you if you but ask and mean it and give Him the time needed. I’ve got more to share from this last chapter of Ecclesiastes but that’s for next time. Company’s arriving…and Sue and I work together on this! They will be hungry and must be fed. Hungry for God? Pull up to the the table…and eat all you want!
DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY! Read Ecclesiastes 11
You remember that catchy, Caribbean song ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’. Well when you read the last 4 verses of Ecclesiastes 11, you’ll think that Solomon wrote the lyrics! Verse 9 says “Be happy…and let your heart give you joy…” Our hearts would love to see this wish come true. To be happy…to be joyous. To let go…and let God. That’s what I want and I’m sure the same for you as well. Am I wrong? But to be honest, I think it’s that verse 10 where I get into trouble. Not police trouble! But heart trouble. “So then…” — Solomon is drawing an important conclusion here for himself and us. Listen, he says, this is critical to your life in God. To our life in Christ. “…banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body…” Oh yeah, right, easier said than done, Solomon! Banish is a big, big word–get rid of it, don’t ever let it back into your heart’s borders. And Cast Off–no boomerangs here. No return policy in effect. Throw it away. Don’t look back. However, the older I get, the more I realize that anxieties and worries and fears that I’ve allowed to build up over my lifetime; plus circumstances that have come my way, things out of my control, things that have put my life out of control; that anxieties become a bad habit. We’re in a fear-rut. So easy to fall back into it. And we know it’s just not right. But like a bad relationship that we don’t know how to get out of. I’ve known many good people over the years, all believers in our Lord, who just seem to focus on their aches and pains, on the negative, on the ‘troubles of the body’. And I may be looking in the mirror when I say this! Of course, face what needs facing. But focus is higher up, a calling to live above even the worst pains of life…physical or emotional. A calling that even Solomon, if you look carefully in the Bible at his life, found next to impossible. And I find it so difficult to release the grip of that ever-present companion of anxiety and let Jesus do for me what for me seems just plain impossible. But then the Holy Spirit reminds me of what the Bible says, a much better authority than my heart or yours. For in Christ Jesus, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13)! Banish…Cast Off–active verbs to live by today! Are you with me? Get with it…Banish and Cast Off!
Reflections out of time 