An Appointment We All Have...

Death, we all have an appointment with it. It’s the #1 cause of anxiety. People live their entire lives trying to find ways to cope with it; either trying to prevent it, prolong it, or escape the reality of it. Make peace with God, and it’s not so debilitating. Get right with God, and death loses its sting. We will never be able to rid ourselves from this appointment we have, but we can change our destination from condemnation to salvation. Then death only becomes a doorway into eternity, a short, instant pathway into meeting our Creator. And it’s on good terms, not irreconcilable ones.

7 Indeed, how can people avoid what they don’t know is going to happen? 8 None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked. Ecclesiastes 8:7-8

Calling Good and Evil, Good and Evil....

You’ve heard me say this many times before, “integrity has no holiday”, but I can’t emphasize it more as America dives deeper into her redefined morality. When you read Isaiah, you come to the verse that says, “they call evil good, and good evil”, integrity always calls evil evil, and good good. It doesn’t go out of style or fashion in God’s economy, even when it’s not politically correct in ours. There is always a way to do it right, it just takes resolve. And you make that decision long before it comes to be.

5 Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, 6 for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble. Ecclesiastes 8:5-6

14 And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless! Ecclesiastes 8:14

A Megadose of Gratitude....

Everyone needs a megadose of gratitude. We need to document everything God does not only for us, but all of those around us. When adversity comes, and we start to focus on ourselves, we can open the notes and know we are blessed, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the time. Even if our feelings are screaming out, “woe is me”. Start your own book of Psalms, document God’s movement, His character, and His faithfulness in your life.

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! Psalms 103:1-5

Perfection’s Only Satisfied With....

God satisfies man’s hunger for perfection with Christ -no one else, no other thing.

23 I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. 24 Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. 25 I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness. Ecclesiastes 7:23-25

“This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. 28 Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Ecclesiastes 7:27-28a

One of the Wisest Things Solomon Said....

One of the wisest things Solomon said, “accept the way God does things.” If we do this, difficult times aren’t so difficult, and good times are even better. This is only possible when you trust God with all things. And that is only possible when you know God on an intimate level; and that takes time, passion, and pursuit. It won’t happen over night. It takes a lifetime. But it’s worthy of the commitment. Nothing is certain in this life, except for God being faithful to His Word. You can count on that.

13 Accept the way God does things,for who can straighten what He has made crooked?14 Enjoy prosperity while you can,but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.Remember that nothing is certain in this life. Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

An Unsolvable Riddle...

Because Solomon was making all these investigations without God, the answers eluded him. Without special revelation, life remains an unsolvable riddle.

12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone? Ecclesiastes 6:12

The Two Gifts of Wealth...

When it comes to wealth, there are two gifts. First is the wealth itself. And the second is the ability to enjoy it.

8 Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9 Even the king milks the land for his own profit!10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth–except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.13 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. 14 Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing–like working for the wind. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud–frustrated, discouraged, and angry.18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life–this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then He doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! Ecclesiastes 6:1-2a