Joy will accompany us

"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night— then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it." - Ecclesiastes 8:15-17

Today's reading teaches us that God desires 'joy to accompany us' in the toil of our lives. This is such a tremendous promise. Hold onto this today.

Thomas Merton - Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.

Living in Grace

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Is this what contributed to some of our Wars?

In this month of November we remember many historical conflicts and those people who sacrifice their lives for the sake of a better world. The 9th November marked the collapsing of the Berlin wall, while the 11th will call us to pause and remember all who died in the 'Great' wars of the 20th Century. As I was reading through Ecclesiastes today I tried to find a link between these verses and the outcome of violence, conflict and war.

"When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless." - Ecclesiastes 8:11-14

Is it possible that if the engineers of war had been stopped before they got out of hand, that we would have seen less blood-shed in our world? Is it possible that if the majority of criminals realised that they would not get away with their evil schemes, that we would have less crime and pain in our world? I think it is worth chewing on. I don't have a concrete answer, but just questions.

"There is always inequality in life. Some men are killed in a war and some men are wounded and some men never leave the country. Life is unfair." - John F. Kennedy

Living in Grace

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Avoiding the inevitable?

We would do well to remember that every scripture passage was written in a time and context. So, when our friend Solomon is musing about various things we need to reflect on what is happening in the world about 3000 years ago. What do you think is happening in his world when you read these words?

"Since no one knows the future who can tell someone else what is to come? As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless." - Ecclesiastes 8:7-10

There were 2 points that I found interesting:

1. None of us knows what will happen in the future, so we can't tell others what is to come. We need to entrust our time and lives into God's hands.

2. We can't contain the wind (although we can now harness it) - and so none of us can stop our own death. What we can do is prepare ourselves as much as possible and then live our lives to the fullest.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
― Mark Twain

Living in Grace

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Wisdom shows

As we forge on ahead deeper into Ecclesiastes we will note a slight change in mood from Solomon. In today's reading he seems (well to me at least) to shift from being very depressed, to becoming more reflective and offering some 'fatherly' advice to his listeners. Listen to his heart as he writes:

"How wonderful to be wise, to analyze and interpret things.
Wisdom lights up a person’s face, softening its harshness.

Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. Don’t try to avoid doing your duty, and don’t stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants. His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble." - Ecclesiastes 8:1-6

I have underlined the last verse because this was the one that stood out for me today. Do you note the connection with his comments in chapter 3 (A Time for Everything)? 

Is there something from these verses that resonates with you today? One of the other thoughts to strike me was how Solomon mentions that wisdom 'lights up a person's face.' Have you ever noticed that before?

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." - John 14:1

Living in Grace

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Did he really say that?

It is very easy to misunderstand what Solomon is saying in some parts of chapter 7 and he could easily be labelled as a sexist. Just have a look at some of these words to see my point, but then I want to clarify the context of what he is saying.

"I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.
... Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.” (Ecclesiastes 7:26, 28-29)

Firstly, we must remember that Solomon is the guy who refers to wisdom as a Woman in book of Proverbs. We can conclude that he does respect women in many ways, but would also have been a "man of his time", with many different views on the role of women in his kingdom.

Secondly, the woman he is referring to in verse 27, is the 'seductive' woman, and not all women! Ecclesiastes (like Proverbs) were used as teachings to the young men of the Jewish communities, informing them of all the virtues and vices in life. He wanted the younger guys to be cautious of this as they could land up in trouble. He could just as easily used this passage to instruct our young women in today's world too - that we should be wary of anyone who tries to seduce us in anyway. 

Thirdly, his statement about not finding one righteous woman (out of a thousand) and only 1 righteous man, is interesting. However, we must remember that it was only the men who were given religious instruction in their generation - so this actually makes the men look far worse than the women. The men had all the correct teaching and still they didn't get it right. 

Solomon's conclusion is that although God created us to follow Him, we have all turned to go our own way. And so we need to draw a connection to the Gospel's here, where we see the gift of Jesus rescuing us from our sin.

Hope this makes some sense to us all.

Living in Grace

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Still haven't found what I was looking for

"This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. " - Ecclesiastes 7:28-29

We are tempted to look at people who seem to have everything and believe that they are happy with life. It is almost as if we just assume that having a lot of "things" will be the golden ticket to our happiness. We have covered this ground before, but Solomon is honest enough to admit that he still hasn't found what he is looking for. It was the singer, song-writer, musician and poet, Bono who also added his lament to Ecclesiastes 7.

"I have climbed the highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you

I have run I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for..." 

This year has been one of those moments to test all of our hearts. It is my prayer that we continue to lean into the mercies of Jesus and trust that God satisfy's your deepest longing.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

A Prayer for Matric Students

It is one thing to share a prayer for students writing exams, in a general sense, but it is another thing entirely when one of your own kids stands at the starting line of their Final Exams. This is a prayer I wrote for all Matrics, but it is unashamedly personal in nature. You are welcome to share this with others who may need some encouragement. I have never had a student say 'No' to a prayer before any exam :)

Living in Grace

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Dear Lord

As our Matric students begin their Final Exams we ask that you would comfort them and grant them your peace as they finish off their last preparations. The time has come for us to let go of the ‘trial runs’ and ‘practise sessions’ and to trust that the moment of truth will only be a small step for them in the end.

May the challenges before them not seem insurmountable and please help our kids to rely on the collective learning they have received over the last 18 years. Remind them that although these next 6 weeks are vital in their preparations for the future, they are not the only thing that will define them. Our Matric results are an opportunity to start our adult lives on a certain path, but each student is worth so much more than 7 symbols on a school certificate.

We also ask that you would give each parent and guardian enough patience and love in order to support our children through this next important milestone in their lives. We ask you to put our hearts at ease and although we may try to steer our kids on a particular course, allow them to discover their true purpose in you.

Thank you for all the teachers, staff and community members who have given of themselves during this tough year. May they also feel rewarded for the progress they have nurtured in each child’s life. Help and enable us to celebrate the student who scraps a D symbol with hours and hours of extra work, as much as the student who achieves another A with seeming ease. Each child is to be celebrated and we thank you that you love each one of them.

Lastly, we thank you Lord for your promise of hope and guidance for all who turn to you.

In Jesus name we ask these things.  Amen.