Another Milestone

Today we had the privilege of attending our eldest sons Valedictory Service. This was his last official school function before he sits to write his Final exams and it was a bitter-sweet moment for us as parents. When your children start out in life you are very quick to record the milestones along the way:

the first time they crawl, or walk; 

their first teeth, and then when they lose a tooth;

their first day at creche, and then primary school, first school concerts and sports matches;

their first awards and disappointments;

then finishing primary school and starting high school;

getting a learners driving license, finishing their last sports match, or official day at school....

All these milestones are marked along the way and they form part of helping our kids grow up and prepare for the world around them. It is a bitter-sweet moment because we have spent 18 years praying and hoping, encouraging and guiding them, but our work (in it's present role) is fast coming to an end.

 However, despite the sadness and nostalgia of this moment, we are deeply grateful for being parents. We know that there will be plenty more Milestones in his future and we entrust him into the safe hands of our loving Saviour. 

Psalm 25:6 - Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, God; Rebuild the ancient landmarks!

What milestone are you currently experiencing in your life?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

 

Tough questions to answer

As we get older we soon realise that there are so many experiences that we have witnessed. Some of these are good, while others are heart-breaking and difficult. As Solomon gets to the end of his life he reflects on some issues that remain a mystery to all of us. The first one he mentions today is still one that has me scratching my head at times - why do some evil people seem to prosper and then some righteous people suffer so much?

"In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:
the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

Do not be over righteous,
neither be over wise—
why destroy yourself?

Do not be over wicked,
and do not be a fool—
why die before your time?

It is good to grasp the one
and not let go of the other.
Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes." - Ecclesiastes 7:15-18

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Consider this

Apologies for the break in the blogs, but I spent some much needed R & R with the family before we head into the uncharted waters of the final school term of 2020. Coming back to Ecclesiastes 7 today I found these words very appropriate for our present times:

"Consider what God has done:
Who can straighten
what he has made crooked?
When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
as well as the other.
Therefore, no one can discover
anything about their future." - Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

It is important to trust God in the good times as well as the bad times. None of us knows what the future will hold, but we can trust in the providence of God.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Is the end better than the beginning?

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning,

and patience is better than pride.

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools." - Ecclesiastes 7:8-9

I am not sure if it is appropriate for me to argue with Solomon - after all, he was the King of Israel and the writer of some amazing books. BUT....

... I don't think that the 'end of the matter' is always better than the beginning!

I guess it does depend on the context, but I have seen some situations where things have begun incredibly well, but then ended up badly. A good start doesn't always equate to a successful ending.

One Biblical commentator has suggested that the reason why Solomon argues his point is that anyone can dream of something, but it takes a person of discipline to finish a project or vision. Now, if that is the context of what he is saying, then I am happy to agree with him. What do you think?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The living should take note of this

Oh man, Solomon is feeling very morbid in today's passage. He seems to be a little obsessed with death at this point in time. Whilst I agree with him that we should be deeply conscious of our own mortality, I don't think an unhealthy obsession with dying is going to make us 'LIVE' a more fulfilling life.

I would rather suggest that we know that our days are in the Lord's hands and appreciate every day as a gift from God. This can then motivate us to seize every moment as an opportunity to glorify God and live an abundant life.

"It is better to go to a house of mourning
    than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
    the living should take this to heart.
3 Frustration is better than laughter,
    because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
    but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure." - Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

“Every moment of the day there should be someone shouting from the rooftops, "Life, enjoy it while you can.”
― Marty Rubin

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Good old days?

How often do we look back and think that the 'old days' were much better than today? I know we do it more often than we realise. Now in today's scripture Solomon argues that we shouldn't do this. He says:

"Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions." - Ecclesiastes 7:10

I wonder why he suggests that we don't say this? Is it because we will keep living in the past and not enjoying the moment? Or is it because he remembers that even the 'good old days' have many problems and it is just that time has made us forget the pain of those moments? I am not sure why?

Thoughts?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Needing advice?

It is sometimes so hard to get good advice now days. There is plenty of information and content out there, but one has to still sift through it all. During the early days of lock-down I was drawn back to the book of Proverbs and spent 70 days reflecting on those incredible words - some of you would remember that this was in March and April of 2020. I discovered that all the advice I needed was in the chapters of Proverbs. 

I have eventually put these thoughts into book form and the hard copy is now available if you would like to read it. The ebook has been available on Amazon for a while, but the hard copy has just arrived. You can order it through the website or just email me personally. Thanks again for the support and taking the time to read my daily thoughts.

God bless you

Living in Grace

D3LM3