"All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied” Ecclesiastes 6:7 Memory Verse
You can get the lesson quarterly in pdf form for this weeks lesson here or here for the teacher's version.
What is the purpose of our life? That is the main question of this weeks lesson.
The operative word in Ecclesiastes 6 is the word man. It occurs ten times in this chapter. "What is the duty of man," etc
I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men: God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. Ecc 6:1-2
Two examples of this:
2Kings 5:1 - He had all these things BUT he was a leper. It didn't matter that he had all those things because he had leprosy.
2Kings 15:5 - He was a good King for the most part. He decided not to remove the High Places and for that the Lord smote him with Leprosy. He lived the rest of his life in isolation.
John D Rockefeller - "Mr. Rockefeller your fortune is rolling up, rolling up like an avalanche! You must keep up with it! You must distribute it faster than it grows! If you do not, it will crush you and your children and your children's children" - Frederick T. Gates in 1906, quoted in the PBS documentary: American Experience, The Rockefellers (Part 1).
His money was destroying him until he started giving it away.
Proverbs 10:22 - The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he-- Ecc 6:3
for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, Ecc 6:4-5
Rich fool - I will build bigger barns, . . . this night is your soul is required of thee. Did he get to enjoy his treasures?
Even if he lives a thousand years twice--but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place? Ecc 6:6
All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied. Ecc 6:7
Matt 6:25-26 - Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Can you permanently satiate your appetite? Ecc 1:8 - ". . . The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing."
Until Thomas Edison you only had a couple of choices: You could listen to someone else play or you could produce it yourself. "The ear is never full of hearing" People go around today listening to music all the time, their ear is never full of hearing. It makes you wonder whether the devil is purposely making this noise so that when the Lord speaks in a "still small voice" 1Kings 19:12 they do not hear Him.
For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, Who knows how to walk before the living? Ecc 6:8 All of the basic needs were the same for Solomon and the fool. Was the reward of their life different? Possibly. This verse is not to say that you should be a fool because your needs are the same. What it is saying is that unless your relation to God is different than the fool your end is the same as his.
If you want to know the point of Ecclesiates go the last verse: Ecc 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
We are not saved by intellect. We are saved by Christ. There are some very bright, successful people in the world whose end will be the same as someone who is unsuccessful because they haven't made God their priority. Solomon is seeing these issues at the height of his prosperity when he has made everything else the priority.
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. Ecc 6:9
Loose translation: A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush - Benjamin Franklin. So many people are unhappy because they don't really enjoy what they have. The are consumed by a desire for something else. We should have a desire for the better, for improvement. A pig is perfectly contented wallowing in the mud and a dog to it's vomit 2Pe 2:22. So there should be a desire for the better and yet a contentment that if I am in the center of the Lord's will I can be content.
Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he. Ecc 6:10
Again we see "there is nothing new under the sun" Ecc 1:9. God knows us before we are born. The prophecy concerning Cyrus was made almost 200 years before he was born. Josiah would burn the bones of the false prophets 1Kings 13:2; fulfillment: 2Kings 23:16.
"He is man" that is he is Adam. Adam means earth, ruddy; Adam came from the earth. Adam is similar to Edom. Edom means red earth. Man is made from the earth. We are nothing special in building materials.
"mightier than he" - God knows all about our lives. He is the creator, we are the creation. we should find the good.
Mark 10:18 - And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
That verse unlocks this chapter. We should seek what is truly good. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17
If man doesn't have God n his possession and he doesn't have the good it would have been better had been a stillborn child. The good in life is God and without the good your are left with the temporary, the striving after the wind.
Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better? Ecc 6:11
So many things in life that poeople pursue are vain. Most people are chasing after the wind. Seek ye first the kingdom of God Matthew 6:33.
Also I have learned in "Whatever state I am therewith to be content" and to let my requests be made known unto God." "And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:11, 6-7
For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun? Ecc 6:12
In summary: Go after that will last after you have gone!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Sign of the Fleece
Judges chapter 6 was the study of this morning, particularly the portion of the chapter talking about Gideon's use of a fleece. I was interested to see if the use of a sign is a valid Biblical test of the Lord's will.
And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. Judges 6:36-40
The test was very simple: Gideon would place the fleece on the ground and if it was wet he would know that that was a sign from the Lord to go forward. If it was dry he would know that he shouldn't go forward. The fleece was wet. Gideon being the practical logical sort immediately thought of the principle of the dew being naturally drawn to the fleece and he asked the Lord to reverse the sign. The Lord agreed and again showed Gideon that it was God's will for him to go forward.
So what does this tell us? I thought about that a long time, and to be truthful I am not sure yet. Here are some other texts that may help answering that question:
Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Acts 5:9
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. Mal 3:10
The first text would suggest that to test the Spirit of the Lord is wrong; the second would suggest that to try the Lord in that area is encouraged. I am not very sure at all at this moment what the Biblical thing to do is. . .
I must stop for now, but I will post some updates when I have a good answer.
God Bless!
PS: Any comments that anyone has would be appreciated!
Update 1: I am for sure that you must be in complete compliance with the know, revealed will of God. So if you are setting a fleece to see whether you should go kill someone, forget it! If the Lord has already revealed His will in the Bible on the issue in question you have no need to ask the Lord to reveal His will. 1The 4:2-3
Update 2: See separate post here.
God Bless!
And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. Judges 6:36-40
The test was very simple: Gideon would place the fleece on the ground and if it was wet he would know that that was a sign from the Lord to go forward. If it was dry he would know that he shouldn't go forward. The fleece was wet. Gideon being the practical logical sort immediately thought of the principle of the dew being naturally drawn to the fleece and he asked the Lord to reverse the sign. The Lord agreed and again showed Gideon that it was God's will for him to go forward.
So what does this tell us? I thought about that a long time, and to be truthful I am not sure yet. Here are some other texts that may help answering that question:
Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Acts 5:9
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. Mal 3:10
The first text would suggest that to test the Spirit of the Lord is wrong; the second would suggest that to try the Lord in that area is encouraged. I am not very sure at all at this moment what the Biblical thing to do is. . .
I must stop for now, but I will post some updates when I have a good answer.
God Bless!
PS: Any comments that anyone has would be appreciated!
Update 1: I am for sure that you must be in complete compliance with the know, revealed will of God. So if you are setting a fleece to see whether you should go kill someone, forget it! If the Lord has already revealed His will in the Bible on the issue in question you have no need to ask the Lord to reveal His will. 1The 4:2-3
Update 2: See separate post here.
God Bless!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
But our eyes are upon thee!
For my devotions this morning I looked at the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2Chronicles 20. I will just give a brief summary of the story before I focus on what spoke to me today.
In verse one we find the "children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and besides them the other Ammonites" coming out to battle against Jehoshaphat. By verse 3 the King is fearful, but He does this thing right: He "set himself to seek the Lord." That is what I am going to focus in on today: He "set himself to seek the Lord."
How many other kings of Israel set themselves to seek the Lord? How many times do you find the record "He did evil in the sight of the Lord?" Many more times the latter than the former. This act of seeking the Lord is one that the Lord delights in.
But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deu 4:29
Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! 1Ch 16:11
"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 1Ch 28:9
And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD. 2Ch 12:14
To seek the heart of the Lord is active, not passive. You are taking the initiative to find the will of the Lord. The Lord "is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb 11:6 The will of the Lord is not an opinion as a friend or family member might give you. It is a definitive, a directive, a counsel second to known and knowing no others. The Lord is never wrong, He never has to take back anything He says, He perfect will never changes: "For I am the LORD, I change not; . . ."
Just on that note, what does it mean when God repents? When God repents it means a change of circumstances and relations. When Saul offered the burnt offering without waiting for Samuel the Lord repented that he had made Saul king 1Sam 15:35. This was not a change of God but a change of Saul, a change of the relation of Saul to God. Saul was showing his true character and it brought the Lord to repent that he had made Saul king.
Take the example of the antediluvian man: And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Gen 6:6 Had God changed or had man? No, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Gen 6:5 It was the changing of man and his relation to God, not the changing of God.
Saul's disobedience changed his relation to God; but the conditions of acceptance with God were unaltered--God's requirements were still the same, for with Him there "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17. Man may change his relation to God by complying with the conditions upon which he may be brought into the divine favor, or he may, by his own action, place himself outside the favoring condition; but the Lord is the same "yesterday, and today, and forever." Heb 13:8 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. 1Sam 15:29
So what does Jehoshaphat do? He prays one of the great prayers of the Bible:
And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 2Chr 20:6-12
That last phrase is so powerful! "Neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee." I don't know what to do. I have many options before me. The Lord has blessed with many abilities and now I have a great response-ability to use them wisely. Responsibility is the response to the gifts that the Lord has given. Knowing that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" I must use those gifts in the way that best serves the Lord.
The Lord is my maker, my redeemer, and my savior. His love for me kept Him on the cross. I was on His mind, as the song says. The Lord knows what the future holds, He knows the plans He has for me. But I don't know the plans He has for me, which is why I am keeping my eyes upon the Lord!
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11
In verse one we find the "children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and besides them the other Ammonites" coming out to battle against Jehoshaphat. By verse 3 the King is fearful, but He does this thing right: He "set himself to seek the Lord." That is what I am going to focus in on today: He "set himself to seek the Lord."
How many other kings of Israel set themselves to seek the Lord? How many times do you find the record "He did evil in the sight of the Lord?" Many more times the latter than the former. This act of seeking the Lord is one that the Lord delights in.
But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deu 4:29
Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! 1Ch 16:11
"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 1Ch 28:9
And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD. 2Ch 12:14
To seek the heart of the Lord is active, not passive. You are taking the initiative to find the will of the Lord. The Lord "is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb 11:6 The will of the Lord is not an opinion as a friend or family member might give you. It is a definitive, a directive, a counsel second to known and knowing no others. The Lord is never wrong, He never has to take back anything He says, He perfect will never changes: "For I am the LORD, I change not; . . ."
Just on that note, what does it mean when God repents? When God repents it means a change of circumstances and relations. When Saul offered the burnt offering without waiting for Samuel the Lord repented that he had made Saul king 1Sam 15:35. This was not a change of God but a change of Saul, a change of the relation of Saul to God. Saul was showing his true character and it brought the Lord to repent that he had made Saul king.
Take the example of the antediluvian man: And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Gen 6:6 Had God changed or had man? No, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Gen 6:5 It was the changing of man and his relation to God, not the changing of God.
Saul's disobedience changed his relation to God; but the conditions of acceptance with God were unaltered--God's requirements were still the same, for with Him there "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17. Man may change his relation to God by complying with the conditions upon which he may be brought into the divine favor, or he may, by his own action, place himself outside the favoring condition; but the Lord is the same "yesterday, and today, and forever." Heb 13:8 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. 1Sam 15:29
So what does Jehoshaphat do? He prays one of the great prayers of the Bible:
And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 2Chr 20:6-12
That last phrase is so powerful! "Neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee." I don't know what to do. I have many options before me. The Lord has blessed with many abilities and now I have a great response-ability to use them wisely. Responsibility is the response to the gifts that the Lord has given. Knowing that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" I must use those gifts in the way that best serves the Lord.
The Lord is my maker, my redeemer, and my savior. His love for me kept Him on the cross. I was on His mind, as the song says. The Lord knows what the future holds, He knows the plans He has for me. But I don't know the plans He has for me, which is why I am keeping my eyes upon the Lord!
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Some must leave their work
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. Matt. 4:18-22
Last night I was thinking about this passage and how it relates to the work of the ministry. Peter and Andrew were at their work, "casting a net," when Jesus told them to leave it and follow Him. They had to leave their work to follow Christ.
I believe that there are some occupations that are completely incompatible for a Christian. Examples of such could be thief, prostitute, a cloak-and-dagger business, and some others I am not thinking of. There are also those occupations that are not wrong for everyone but for someone they are not right. Was there anything wrong with being a fisherman? No, but was it the right occupation for those men? No, it wasn't. Later when they were waiting for Christ after the crucifiction they went fishing to provide breakfast John 21.
What I am trying to say here is that while God can use you and me in any occupation, He may not want you in just any occupation. Also, it is interesting to note that the disciples were going to provide themselves breakfast and they ended up with no breakfast until Jesus provided it for them. Showing again that "all that we have, all that we are, all that we hope to do," is from God. I think God made the fishing bad that night to show the disciples that their calling was not fishing. Jesus had been crucified and now was talking about going back to heaven, and I think that they were thinking about what came next. Jesus, in causing there to be no catch, showed the disciples very clearly that they were no longer fishermen, they were fishers of men.
Yet Paul was a tent maker, even during his ministry years. He kept the manual occupation that his was trained in to support himself and the other laborers in the gospel with him. He used it to expand his work by witnessing to the other tent makers where he would set up shop.
I have to stop for this morning. Not that I want to but I have run out of time. I get my SAT scores tomorrow, so this study will be ongoing for the next several mornings. . .
God Bless!
Last night I was thinking about this passage and how it relates to the work of the ministry. Peter and Andrew were at their work, "casting a net," when Jesus told them to leave it and follow Him. They had to leave their work to follow Christ.
I believe that there are some occupations that are completely incompatible for a Christian. Examples of such could be thief, prostitute, a cloak-and-dagger business, and some others I am not thinking of. There are also those occupations that are not wrong for everyone but for someone they are not right. Was there anything wrong with being a fisherman? No, but was it the right occupation for those men? No, it wasn't. Later when they were waiting for Christ after the crucifiction they went fishing to provide breakfast John 21.
What I am trying to say here is that while God can use you and me in any occupation, He may not want you in just any occupation. Also, it is interesting to note that the disciples were going to provide themselves breakfast and they ended up with no breakfast until Jesus provided it for them. Showing again that "all that we have, all that we are, all that we hope to do," is from God. I think God made the fishing bad that night to show the disciples that their calling was not fishing. Jesus had been crucified and now was talking about going back to heaven, and I think that they were thinking about what came next. Jesus, in causing there to be no catch, showed the disciples very clearly that they were no longer fishermen, they were fishers of men.
Yet Paul was a tent maker, even during his ministry years. He kept the manual occupation that his was trained in to support himself and the other laborers in the gospel with him. He used it to expand his work by witnessing to the other tent makers where he would set up shop.
I have to stop for this morning. Not that I want to but I have run out of time. I get my SAT scores tomorrow, so this study will be ongoing for the next several mornings. . .
God Bless!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
To every man is given "his work" BY GOD
For the next several mornings I will be diverted from Philippians to the study of knowing God's will for my life, particularly as it relates to college and higher learning.
What struck me this morning is that it is God's plan for every man; not my plan, not what I want to do, but what God wants me to do. The question then becomes what work has God given me to do, not what work do I want to do.
Yesterday I talked about a quote from the book Education page 138. Today I read some of the context for that quote. Here is some of it:
That which lies at the foundation of business integrity and of true success is the recognition of God's ownership. The Creator of all things, He is the original proprietor. We are His stewards. All that we have is a trust from Him, to be used according to His direction. Ed 137.4
I have to comment on this before I share the rest of the context. I titled this post "TO every man.. BY GOD" for a good reason: God has to be at the center of our life. He is the creator and there is no one as well qualified to show the creation it's path as the maker. It is only as we recognize our obligation to Him that we can truly become the men and women that he would have his creatures to be. Notice "true success:" that is what our life goal should be. We can have false success here on this world by using the business world to our advantage and using the bronze rule. But God says "there is a better way;" "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isa 55:9
"All that we have is a trust from Him" - When you are a banker, all you handle is a trust from others. It is not yours to use as it pleases you: you are to use that money to grow the money for others. It is the same with our talents: we are to use are talents to grow our talents for God. So that when he comes to collect accounts we may be regarded a wise and prudent servant for God.
Continuing on:
What struck me this morning is that it is God's plan for every man; not my plan, not what I want to do, but what God wants me to do. The question then becomes what work has God given me to do, not what work do I want to do.
Yesterday I talked about a quote from the book Education page 138. Today I read some of the context for that quote. Here is some of it:
That which lies at the foundation of business integrity and of true success is the recognition of God's ownership. The Creator of all things, He is the original proprietor. We are His stewards. All that we have is a trust from Him, to be used according to His direction. Ed 137.4
I have to comment on this before I share the rest of the context. I titled this post "TO every man.. BY GOD" for a good reason: God has to be at the center of our life. He is the creator and there is no one as well qualified to show the creation it's path as the maker. It is only as we recognize our obligation to Him that we can truly become the men and women that he would have his creatures to be. Notice "true success:" that is what our life goal should be. We can have false success here on this world by using the business world to our advantage and using the bronze rule. But God says "there is a better way;" "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isa 55:9
"All that we have is a trust from Him" - When you are a banker, all you handle is a trust from others. It is not yours to use as it pleases you: you are to use that money to grow the money for others. It is the same with our talents: we are to use are talents to grow our talents for God. So that when he comes to collect accounts we may be regarded a wise and prudent servant for God.
Continuing on:
This is an obligation that rests upon every human being. It has to do with the whole sphere of human activity. Whether we recognize it or not, we are stewards, supplied from God with talents and facilities, and placed in the world to do a work appointed by Him. Ed 137.5
There it is, "a work appointed by Him." This is a choice that He makes. But not to worry, He knows us better than we know ourselves. Also, stewards are not stewards without something to steward. God has given each talents to care for. There is no one who can say they have no talents for all are stewards.
Thus our business or calling is a part of God's great plan, and, so long as it is conducted in accordance with His will, He Himself is responsible for the results. "Laborers together with God" (1 Corinthians 3:9), our part is faithful compliance with His directions. Thus there is no place for anxious care. Diligence, fidelity, caretaking, thrift, and discretion are called for. Every faculty is to be exercised to its highest capacity. But the dependence will be, not on the successful outcome of our efforts, but on the promise of God. The word that fed Israel in the desert, and sustained Elijah through the time of famine, has the same power today. "Be not therefore anxious (R.V.), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? . . . Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:31-33. Ed 138.2
I have run out of time this morning, so I will have to call that good for this morning...
God Bless!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Knowing the will of God
This morning I diverted from Philippians to study how to know God's will for my life. I found a quote this morning from the book Education page 138:
To every man is given "his work" (Mark 13:34), the work for which his capabilities adapt him, the work which will result in the greatest good to himself and to his fellow men, and in greatest honor to God. Ed 138
This is a very meaningful passage to me right now. I am considering what I should do with my life and how I should prepare for my work. What I learned from this passage is that to each is given his or her work; a work that they can do better than any other work. It is that work that will result in the greatest good to themselves as Christians, to others , and it is the work in which they will most honor God.
Further, that my work may be something that no one else does. In the past, the Seventh-day Adventist church has had the philosophy that the only professionals need where ministers, educators, and those in the medical field. That view has passed now to the point that almost any calling is valid if you can serve God in the field. Yet, those professions without the goal in mind of saving souls are of no value. The following is from Christ's Object Lessons pages 326-327:
To His servants Christ commits "His goods"--something to be put to use for Him. He gives "to every man his work." Each has his place in the eternal plan of heaven. Each is to work in co-operation with Christ for the salvation of souls. Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God. COL 326, 327
Pastor Mark Finley once said at an ASI convention that the Christ doesn't need plumbers and lawyers and store owners who evangelize, Christ needs evangelists that plumb and practice law and own stores. The focus is to be on evangelism, not the business or profession, even in the business and professional world. The principle is summed up aptly in the words of William Carey (1761-1834), missionary to India: “I cobble shoes to pay expenses but soul winning is my business.”
So what I am still wrestling with is the question of occupations: is every occupation a valid one provided that it is only to cover the expenses? And just how involved should you be? AFM has a neat little saying, "Some are players, some are payers, and some are prayers." Which one should I be? Should we all be players, working personally one the front-lines of some foreign field? Or can I simply pay my way, working full-time in America at a comfortable office job and yet sending generous donations to those on the front-lines? Or should I be a prayer, laboring on my knees for those who are the players?
I am still working on this question. I will post an update when I have an answer. . .
God Bless!
To every man is given "his work" (Mark 13:34), the work for which his capabilities adapt him, the work which will result in the greatest good to himself and to his fellow men, and in greatest honor to God. Ed 138
This is a very meaningful passage to me right now. I am considering what I should do with my life and how I should prepare for my work. What I learned from this passage is that to each is given his or her work; a work that they can do better than any other work. It is that work that will result in the greatest good to themselves as Christians, to others , and it is the work in which they will most honor God.
Further, that my work may be something that no one else does. In the past, the Seventh-day Adventist church has had the philosophy that the only professionals need where ministers, educators, and those in the medical field. That view has passed now to the point that almost any calling is valid if you can serve God in the field. Yet, those professions without the goal in mind of saving souls are of no value. The following is from Christ's Object Lessons pages 326-327:
To His servants Christ commits "His goods"--something to be put to use for Him. He gives "to every man his work." Each has his place in the eternal plan of heaven. Each is to work in co-operation with Christ for the salvation of souls. Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God. COL 326, 327
Pastor Mark Finley once said at an ASI convention that the Christ doesn't need plumbers and lawyers and store owners who evangelize, Christ needs evangelists that plumb and practice law and own stores. The focus is to be on evangelism, not the business or profession, even in the business and professional world. The principle is summed up aptly in the words of William Carey (1761-1834), missionary to India: “I cobble shoes to pay expenses but soul winning is my business.”
So what I am still wrestling with is the question of occupations: is every occupation a valid one provided that it is only to cover the expenses? And just how involved should you be? AFM has a neat little saying, "Some are players, some are payers, and some are prayers." Which one should I be? Should we all be players, working personally one the front-lines of some foreign field? Or can I simply pay my way, working full-time in America at a comfortable office job and yet sending generous donations to those on the front-lines? Or should I be a prayer, laboring on my knees for those who are the players?
I am still working on this question. I will post an update when I have an answer. . .
God Bless!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Introduction
Hi,
This is a blog that I have created to talk about what I am learning in my morning study. I am just a devoted Bible student that likes to share what he has learned. I am currently studying in Philippians and memorizing the book at the same time. What I will post here are just my comments on what I am reading as I continue in the book. I am starting with Chapter 4 and then will proceed to Chapter 1 when 4 is done.
God Bless!
This is a blog that I have created to talk about what I am learning in my morning study. I am just a devoted Bible student that likes to share what he has learned. I am currently studying in Philippians and memorizing the book at the same time. What I will post here are just my comments on what I am reading as I continue in the book. I am starting with Chapter 4 and then will proceed to Chapter 1 when 4 is done.
God Bless!
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