Ecclesiastes

Week Two – Day 4 –  Ecclesiastes 2:24 – 26  SOAP v. 24-25

²⁴ There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,²⁵ for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? ²⁶ For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

O – Solomon “sort of” changes his tune here.   He mentions God in his pondering.  He thinks that we SHOULD enjoy life, and our work.  BUT, and a huge but, this is from God – because apart from God, we cannot really enjoy our life and our work.  God gives us  wisdom and knowledge and joy – when we please Him.  Sinners, those who don’t know or follow God, their life and “stuff” do not last.  THAT is vanity!  Useless.

A – What I thought of when I read this today was “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  (Colossians 3:17)  It is only when we have this mindset that we will truly have joy – both in what we have, and in what we do.  I know that when I went to work, intentionally thinking that I was going to minister for Him, that I really found joy, even in difficult days.  And it is true today, even though I am not working.  Apart from Him, I am not content, I am not joyful, I am not satisfied.  Was this where Solomon was ?  Apart from God – he was not content, joyful, or satisfied.  All was vanity, chasing after wind.

P – Father God, thank You for all You have given me.  You have given us a home, a comfortable home to enjoy, to entertain, to rest and refresh.  You have given Paul a job, a ministry that brings satisfaction and challenge.  You have given me ministry within the church, leading and mentoring ladies.  Thank You for the joy that You bring in serving You.  May I always see what I do – and what I have – as from You.   Father, this is my prayer – Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone and live so all might see The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me.  Oh Father, use my ransomed life in any way You choose and let my song forever be my only boast is You.”  Amen.

All I have is Christ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwGSNv3vK3I

VERSE 1
I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still

VERSE 2
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

CHORUS
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

VERSE 3
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Ecclesiastes 2:20-23

Week Two – Day 3 – Ecclesiastes 2:20-23  SOAP v. 20-21

²⁰ So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, ²¹ because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.²² What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? ²³ For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

O – Solomon continues to despair over the end of his life – all that he worked for will be left behind.  His riches, his work, his wisdom and knowledge, his skills – all put together would be left for someone who did not work for it.  They would enjoy his labors – nothing would last, for him.  This bothered him so much that he lost sleep over it!

A – As I was reading this scripture over this morning, a saying that my grandmother used to say came to mind – “Only one life so soon will be past, only what’s done for Christ will last…”  After a little searching, I found that it was part of a poem by C.T. Studd.  (text below) If Solomon lived in our time, today, would he realize this?  Or – would he still be tied to his “stuff”, his work, his wisdom and knowledge?  And to personalize this – do I realize this?  Do I live, so that what I do is for Christ?  Will what I do last?

One of the threads on the facilitator site yesterday was all about legacy.   I’ve been thinking about that over the past day.  What legacy am I leaving behind?  Is what I do “lasting?”   I thought yesterday about the students I had in the past, but today, it is more of the adults in my life.  What am I doing that is lasting?  After finding out that the job that I had interviewed for is not hiring now, I really wondered.  Am I supposed to be “working” now – or investing in those around me, as I have that time to do that?  We can live on one income – do we really need two?  Does God have something different for me around the corner?  How can I use my love of teaching  – now?  How can I build relationships?

Yesterday, while at Bible study at church, I was so encouraged by the interaction of the women, and their sincere interest in digging in the Word.  What a blessing to have the time to prepare and read ahead, so that our discussion is enriched by background and integration of other scriptures!  I also cherish the time spent with two young ladies at church, reading “The Best Yes” together, and discussing how to prioritize our lives.  It gives me a little “baby time” too!  God is starting to open up relationships here, which I have craved since I moved here in July.  Our “Friday Night Meatballs” night allows us, as a couple, to bring the church family together in different ways for fellowship and encouragement.   These things are helping me to see what God has for me – here in Indiana.  It is difficult to miss family and friends back East, but I am beginning to see new relationships build here.  And, I am finding new ways to keep the interaction strong with family back “home.”  It is finding ways to enrich relationships, and build legacy – now.

I need to invest with what is right in front of me – the people that God places in my path.  Whether it is a Skype call, or an email, or a “stop to chat” – I need to be aware of “His appointments” – not mine!  May I say today, “only one life will soon be past – only what’s done for Christ will last!”

P – Father God – even though reading this book of Ecclesiastes is difficult, I am seeing, and my heart is responding to Your message.  Father, give me opportunities to serve You in my daily life.  Help me to see what You put in front of me today.  Thank You for the continued prompting to look around me.  Thank You for the encouragement yesterday from the ladies at Bible study, and for what I am learning from them.  Father, You have a plan for me, work it out in me today.   Thank You for Your love and Your grace in my life.

Only One Life – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZIFBN7RauA

VERSE 1
It matters so little
How much you may own
The places you’ve been
Or people that you know
For it all comes to nothing
When placed at His feet
It’s nothing to Jesus
Just memories to me

VERSE 2
You can take all the treasures
From far away lands
And take all the riches
you can hold in your hands
And take all the pleasures
Your riches can buy
But will it help
When it’s your time to die

CHORUS
Only one life
So soon it will pass
Only what’s done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do His will
So give to Jesus all you days
It’s the only life that pays
When you recall
You have but one life

VERSE 3
The days pass so swiftly
The months come and go
The years melt away
Like new falling s
Spring turns to summer
Then summer to fall
Autumn brings winter
Then death come to all

CHORUS
Only one life
So soon it will pass
Only what’s done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do His will
So give to Jesus all you days
It’s the only life that pays
When you recall
You have but one life

Only One Life

By C.T. Studd

 

Two little lines I heard one day,

Traveling along life’s busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart,

And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, yes only one,

Soon will its fleeting hours be done;

Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,

And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, the still small voice,

Gently pleads for a better choice

Bidding me selfish aims to leave,

And to God’s holy will to cleave;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, a few brief years,

Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;

Each with its clays I must fulfill,

living for self or in His will;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

When this bright world would tempt me sore,

When Satan would a victory score;

When self would seek to have its way,

Then help me Lord with joy to say;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Give me Father, a purpose deep,

In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e’er the strife,

Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Oh let my love with fervor burn,

And from the world now let me turn;

Living for Thee, and Thee alone,

Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, yes only one,

Now let me say, ”Thy will be done”;

And when at last I’ll hear the call,

I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

Week Two – Day 2 – Ecclesiastes 2:18-19  SOAP v. 18-19

¹⁸ I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, ¹⁹ and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.

O – Solomon hated the fact that he had worked hard – and whatever he was leaving behind would be left to someone else.  He wouldn’t know if the person who he left it to would be wise or foolish.  So – this, too, working hard, is also vanity!

A – What a sad thing – to come to the end of life and not know what your hard work will come to!  Did Solomon not know about eternity – and the importance of sharing NOW the wisdom that God gives?  Did he not have an eternal perspective on his work?  I would like to think that what I have done as a teacher would have eternal value in the lives of my students!  There are students that I led to Christ when I was teaching at the Christian school, or even those that I taught Scripture that we memorized together.  That is eternal!  But, I also hope that the importance of a relationship with Christ was modeled and lived out before them.  I know that there were times that I was so human,  but there were also times of rich discussion and interaction.  Even my time in public school, or in teaching piano, I pray that my students would have seen “something different” in my life – and know that Jesus was living in me.

Now that I am not working, it is different and harder to find those that I would encounter through “work.”  It is neighbors, or children that I interact with through church, or even my own family – spread all over.  It is praying that God will give “opportunities that will glorify Your great name,”  and that I will live the gospel of Your great grace.”   That is my prayer today.

P – Father God, I do offer the work of my hands today – the Bible study that I will lead later on today, the time helping out at the rummage sale, and any encounters that You bring my way.  Father, give me opportunities today to glorify Your great name.  Help me to see the importance of faithfulness in the small tasks that I do, that they, too, will be used to build my character and relationship with You.  Father, order my steps today.  May I go where You send me, and encourage those along the way.  Thank You, Father, for Your loving care, the abundance that You give us, and the blessings that You bestow on us each day.

Before You I Kneel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXjiOO661ss

Before You I kneel, my Master and Maker,

To offer the work of my hands.

For this is the day You’ve given Your servant;

I will rejoice and be glad

For the strength I have to live and breathe,

For each skill Your grace has given me,

For the needs and opportunities

That will glorify Your great name.

 

Before You I kneel and ask for Your goodness

To cover the work of my hands.

For patience and peace to shape all my labor,

Your grace for thorns in my path.

Flow within me like a living stream,

Wear away the stones of pride and greed

‘Til Your ways are dwelling deep in me

And a harvest of life is grown.

 

Before You we kneel, our Master and Maker;

Establish the work of our hands.

And order our steps to seek first Your kingdom

In every small and great task.

May we live the gospel of Your grace,

Serve Your purpose in our fleeting days,

Then our lives will bring eternal praise

And all glory to Your great name.

Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

Week Two – Day 1 –

Ecclesiastes 2:12 – 17  SOAP v. 12-13

¹² So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. ¹³ Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. ¹⁴ The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. ¹⁵ Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. ¹⁶ For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! ¹⁷ So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

O – Solomon ALMOST had it here….. that it was better to be wise than foolish.  He realized that the wise man watched out for the ways in his life, but the foolish man walked in darkness.  (“If we clam to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we life and do not live by the truth. – I John 1:6)  He also realized that even after he died, that there was nothing new that someone else would do in his kingdom.  BUT – even the secular, paltry wisdom that he had was better than folly.  But – everyone dies.  And in the end, nothing matters in the guise of secular wisdom.  It is all “vanity!”  In death, the wise man and the foolish man will be remembered the same.   Both die.  And sooner or later, the “monuments” of life will crumble.

A – Oh, I am beginning to see some of the “wisdom” of this world in this book of Ecclesiastes!  I wonder, if sooner or later, people begin to realize that chasing after wealth, and honor, and money, and “stuff” – if it all becomes meaningless, and just “more of the same?”  How sad!

Even wisdom, secular wisdom, has its place in life, but it, too, does not bring true joy or meaning to life.  I think we all have to come to the place where we realize that we DO NOT have all the wisdom in our selves.  It is only God, who in His true wisdom, that gives us meaning in life.  That’s why I love this hymn.  I AM NOT skilled to understand all that God is, and has for me!  BUT I DO KNOW that He DOES have a plan for me, that goes beyond my own life, to His world.  And, in His infinite wisdom, He provided a way of salvation for me!  (I remember thinking that sometimes I think in “fourth grade theology” – that I know what I know, and leave God to interpret and give wisdom for what I do not understand.  It is not a “cop-out”, but a true realization that I DO NOT understand everything!)

Wouldn’t it have been better for Solomon, in all his wisdom, to realize – “Yes, living, dying, let me bring My strength, my solace from this Spring;  That He Who lives to be my King Once died to be my Savior!”  On this Monday, the day after Easter, I can proclaim “He who lives to be my King once died to be my Savior!”  And – the One who sits at His right hand (God’s) is the One who is my Savior!”  Hallelujah!

P – Father God – in Your infinite wisdom, You gave me Your Best – Your one and only Son.  Thank You for sending Him to die for me, and for my sins.  Thank You for Your great wisdom, unsearchable wisdom, perfect wisdom, omniscient wisdom.  Thank You for the plan that You devised for my life – to prosper me and not to harm me, plans that will bring a hope and a future.  Thank You.  Father, give me Your wisdom in the daily decisions of my life, for the discernment that I need for the larger ones, and Your love for those who do not yet know Your saving grace.

I am Not Skilled to Understand (My Savior My God – Aaron Shust) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96P0bwvpbk4

I am Not Skilled to Understand – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkMTRKZYFNE

I am not skilled to understand

What God hath willed, what God hath planned;
I only know that at His right hand
Is One Who is my Savior!

I take Him at His word indeed;
“Christ died for sinners”—this I read;
For in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Savior!

That He should leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die,
You count it strange? So once did I,
Before I knew my Savior!

And oh, that He fulfilled may see
The travail of His soul in me,
And with His work contented be,
As I with my dear Savior!

Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this Spring;
That He Who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior!

Ecclesiastes 2: 9 – 12

Week One – Day 5 – Ecclesiastes 2:9-11  SOAP v. 11

All my life long I had panted – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXdkZFl0UmA

⁹ So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. ¹⁰ And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil.¹¹ Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

O- The end result of Solomon’s search for pleasure?  He was great – and “better” than all those who were kings before him.  He was wise.  He had whatever pleasures he wanted – what he wanted, he got.  He got pleasure from work – but that pleasure was his reward.   So – he thought about all that he did, the hard work to “get there” – and it was all vanity, striving after wind.

A – How sad to come to the end of life and realize that all the pleasure, all the work, all the striving to be the best – was for naught.  To spend a life – and have nothing of value.  Wanting is a need that is never quenched!  Searching for meaning ends in nothingness.   I want value in my life!  I want it to count!  It is only in Jesus Christ that I can find worth, value, and meaning.  “Hallelujah!  I have found Him whom my soul so long has craved!!”  We sang this song last night at the Maunday Thursday service – it ministered to me.  I had not heard this version of the hymn, but the words just washed over me.  I walked away, knowing that in Jesus, in His blood, in His sacrifice – I have life, true life!

P – Father God, thank You for the satisfaction that can be found in You.  Father, in You is life, true life, life everlasting.  Today, Jesus, on this Good Friday morning, I remember Your sacrifice – for me.  You did not seek honor or glory or pleasure – You gave Yourself.  You did not spend Your life looking for meaning – You KNEW that it was in a relationship with God.  And You gave Yourself for me, so that I could have that same relationship with Him.  Thank You.  Thank You.

1. All my life long I had panted
   For a draught from some cool spring,
   That I hoped would quench the burning
   Of the thirst I felt within.

Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings;
Through His life I now am saved.

2. Feeding on the husks around me,
   Till my strength was almost gone,
   Longed my soul for something better,
   Only still to hunger on.
3. Poor I was, and sought for riches,
   Something that would satisfy,
   But the dust I gathered round me
   Only mocked my soul’s sad cry.
4. Well of water, ever springing,
   Bread of life, so rich and free,
   Untold wealth that never faileth,
   My Redeemer is to me.

Chasing After the Wind – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYuF0vRDfyM&list=PLBb5wuYEzY3VjVmo_udlhMmdoTOUwsvwV&index=12  (based on the movie – THE SONG – can be viewed free on Amazon Prime!)

Ecclesiastes 2: 1 – 8

Week One – Day 4 – 2:1 – 8  SOAPv. 1,2

Years I spent in Vanity and Pride – (At Calvary – The Collingsworth Family) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzaKzTNxxQM

At Calvary – (Lynda Randle) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn1wR17MMNo

2 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. ² I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” ³ I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. ⁴ I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. ⁵ I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. ⁸ I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

O – Solomon took it on himself to find meaning in life in so many things.   Pleasure.  Laughter and fun times.  Wine.  Great works.  Building houses.  Planting vineyards.  Making gardens and parks – planting fruit trees in them.  Pools.  Having servants and slaves.  Having herds and flocks of animals.   Collecting gold and silver and treasures.  Music.  Concubines – sexual pleasure without marriage.  Nothing brought meaning to him!

I find it interesting how many times he mentions “for myself…”  Nothing that he did to bring glory and pleasure to himself worked!  It was all…. For…. Him.

A – I see so many in our world today who try all these ways of pleasure to bring meaning to life.   “Doing my own thing.”  Going out and “having fun.”  Drinking and drugs.  Immersing oneself in work to “get ahead.”  Having the “right house” with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, game rooms, etc.    (McMansions…) Big yards – with playhouses and “stuff.”  Servants and maids.  Money.  The list goes on.

How easy it is to get caught up in the things of this world!  I, too, can get caught up in the “stuff.”  How much of what I have do I really need?  All the clothing?  Do I actually need more?  Stuff for the house?  How much do we really need?  Am I content?  Yes, I AM content!  As I walk each day and look at the houses nearby, the new house that is being built right down the street from us, I thankful for what God has given us.  We have a warm home, that is just right for us – a place to be hospitable to others, to study and relax, to cook together, to read and reflect .  We have a few garden areas that bring beauty, but not excessive.  We don’t spend time “shopping and collecting.”  Right now, it’s “how much of this do we really need?”  I find that living simpler is much more gratifying – enjoying people and “moments.”  A walk along the railroad bed, or in the neighborhood.  Meeting with the two young women from church.  Making a blanket for a new baby.  Making Mr. Potato head pieces for grandkids.   Those kinds of things are lasting.   I remember my grandmother saying, “You don’t find a You Haul trailer behind a hearse….”   How true!   Moments and memories are lasting – not things!

P – Father God, my rambling thoughts today also bring me to the place of thankfulness for all You have given to me.  Father, thank You for the perspective that Your Word gives even in this book of Ecclesiastes.  I need those reminders.  Father, give me Your heart for those around me – more than the “stuff” of this world.  May I not be caught up in the worldly pleasures and things, but caught up with You.  May my attention not be on myself, but on You and ministry for You.  Thank You for the reminder of Calvary – that ALL that I need is found there.  Your mercy.  Your grace.  Your love.  All I need is found in You.  Thank You for all the blessings that You give me besides.

At Calvary –

1. Years I spent in vanity and pride,
   Caring not my Lord was crucified,
   Knowing not it was for me He died
   On Calvary.
   • Refrain:
     Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
     Pardon there was multiplied to me;
     There my burdened soul found liberty
     At Calvary.
2. By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
   Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
   Till my guilty soul imploring turned
   To Calvary.
3. Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,
   Now I gladly own Him as my King,
   Now my raptured soul can only sing
   Of Calvary!
4. Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
   Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
   Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
   At Calvary!

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

Week One – Day 3 – Read Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 18  SOAP v. 17-18

The Perfect Wisdom of our God (Getty)  – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSnzYnOe6kI

¹² I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹⁴ I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶ I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷ And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

¹⁸ For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

O – Solomon asked for wisdom when God asked him what He could give him.  (I Kings 3: 1- 15)  He wanted an “understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil….” (v. 9)   And – because he had asked for wisdom, and not a long life or riches or victory over his enemies, God granted that request – ALONG with riches and honor  IF he would walk in God’s ways, keeping His commandments and statutes.  WHAT HAPPENED?  At the end of his life, Solomon said that he had “applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven.”  (Eccl. 1:13)  In the end, he said that he was unhappy, had seen everything that is done under the sun – and it was vanity and chasing after wind.  He had applied himself to acquire great wisdom – more than any of the other kings before him, and his heart (inner life – mind, will, and emotions – ESV note) had observed much wisdom and knowledge.  He compared wisdom, and madness and folly – and these, too, were just chasing after the wind.    It just brought vexation (displeasure and exasperation) and sorrow.

A – It is a sad thing when someone who you think is wise is actually foolish.  For a king that was granted wisdom by God – to at the end of his life proclaim that it is all foolishness, I have to wonder WHY?   Did he forget about God in the process?  Did the accumulation of riches, “stuff”, and wives produce dissatisfaction?  Was he so wrapped up in himself that he didn’t “need” God?

I do not want to ever get to the place where I don’t need or depend upon God.  As I seek knowledge and insight in His Word, I want to depend on His guidance and wisdom, not my own, or other people’s even.  I DO want to have wisdom and discernment (DISCERN is my word for 2016), but not at the expense of depending on His wisdom.    “O grant me wisdom from above, To pray for peace and cling to love, And teach me humbly to receive the sun and rain of Your sovereignty.” (Getty)

P – Father God, grant me Your wisdom today.  Not the wisdom of men, or of myself, or the world, but of You.  Father, Your wisdom IS perfect.  You created the universe – and created me.  You hold all things together by Your power.  You have a perfect plan for me – to give me hope and a future, to guide my steps, to provide for me each day.  Father, may I trust in You with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding.  Help me in all my ways to acknowledge You – so You can direct my paths.   Father, as I walk through this day, walk with me.  Help me to see Your hand in each action that I perform, in each conversation, and in each task.  Father, You gave Solomon wisdom, but he did not apply that to each part of his life.  Help me, in each part of mine – to apply Your wisdom and understanding.

The Perfect Wisdom of Our God

The perfect wisdom of our God
Revealed in all the universe:
All things created by His hand
And held together at His command.
He knows the mysteries of the seas,
The secrets of the stars are His;
He guides the planets on their way
And turns the earth through another day.

The matchless wisdom of His ways
That mark the path of righteousness;
His word a lamp unto my feet,
His Spirit teaching and guiding me.
And O the mystery of the Cross,
That God should suffer for the lost,
So that the fool might shame the wise,
And all the glory might go to Christ!

O grant me wisdom from above,
To pray for peace and cling to love,
And teach me humbly to receive
The sun and rain of Your sovereignty.
Each strand of sorrow has a place
Within this tapestry of grace;
So through the trials I choose to say:
“Your perfect will in Your perfect way.”

Writers: Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

Ecclesiastes 1:7 -11

Week One – Day 2 – Ecclesiastes 1:7 – 11  SOAP v. 9-10

There is Never a Day so dreary –( In the heart He implanteth a Song…) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTrp8GjA3_c

⁷ All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
⁸ All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
⁹ What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
¹¹ There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be
among those who come after.

O – Oh, the hopelessness of life when it has no meaning!  “All things are full of weariness…”   There is no satisfaction in what we do, in what we hear, in what we see – NOTHING is new or exciting.  Things may be “reworked”, but they are not new.  No one will remember us later on, because we haven’t done anything new.  “There is nothing new under the sun.”

A – This is a hard reading!  I can’t imagine life without hope or Christ.  And yes, there are new things.  As I’ve been walking over the past couple of weeks, I have marveled at the new life around me.  I see daffodils and crocii in bloom, daylilies starting to push their greenery up through the cold ground.  I see buds of the tree leaves, swollen and ready to “pop”.  The magnolia trees are in full bloom, white and pink against the bright blue sky.  The dogwood that we moved is ready to bloom soon – the buds are swollen and the leaves are just behind.  How could I say that there is “nothing new under the sun?”  No – I say “Great is thy Faithfulness…. Morning by morning new mercies I see..”  Each day is new, each day is a gift – IF we have Christ.  Otherwise, it is a feeling of dissatisfaction – nothing satisfies the eyes, the ears, the desires of life.

I love this hymn – that states that there is NOTHING that is too difficult, too sorrowful, too dreary – that Jesus cannot overcome in us.  He “implanteth a song.”  He brings a song to my day, joy to my life, and the hope of eternal life with Him.  That is NOT wearisome or frail.  It is new life!  Oh, how grateful I am for all the gifts that He has given me!  And today – the gift of perspective.  The knowledge that in Him, I have life – new life!  Every day, I see that around me – tangible reminders of His love and faithfulness demonstrated in the new life of spring.

P – Father God, thank You for the new life around me – that I can see and experience with each day.  Thank You for the reminder of the new life and new perspective that I have in You.  Keep my heart tender towards You – so I do not become weary or pessimistic.  Father, You are the Creative God, the God of New Life – not only in the physical world around me, but also in my heart.  Father, I know that there are others who do not know life in You – that are weary and dissatisfied.  Help me to share Your love with them – whether it is on my walks, or in the grocery store, or wherever You send me today.

1 There is never a day so dreary,
there is never a night so long,
but the soul that is trusting Jesus
will somewhere find a song.

Refrain:
Wonderful, wonderful Jesus,
in the heart He implanteth a song:
a song of deliverance, of courage, of strength;
in the heart He implanteth a song.

2 There is never a cross so heavy,
there is never a weight of woe,
but that Jesus will help to carry
because He loveth so. [Refrain]

3 There is never a care or burden,
there is never a grief or loss,
but that Jesus in love will lighten
when carried to the cross. [Refrain]

4 There is never a guilty sinner,
there is never a wandering one,
but that God can in mercy pardon
through Jesus Christ, His Son. [Refrain]

Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 6

Week One – Day 1 – Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 6    SOAP v. 1,2

If I gained the World but Lost the Savior – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5B2WDc9Jpg

If I gained the World but Lost the Savior – older hymn version – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfloKot1pnU

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

² Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
³ What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
⁴ A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.
⁵ The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it rises.
⁶ The wind blows to the south
and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
O – Solomon comes to the end of a life that COULD have been so powerful, given that he was granted wisdom as his request to God.  But, what good is wisdom if it is not applied and lived out?  He had riches, palaces, gold and silver, many wives, friends in high places – but what did he really think?  “Vanity of vanities!  All is vanity.”  He realized that his life was coming to an end – all his work was done.  His influence would be done.  And – what would he have?  He would be dead.  BUT – the world, God’s creation – it would go one.  The sun.  The wind.  The earth.  Cycle upon cycle.  A generation goes, a generation comes.

A – As I worked to find songs that would fit the themes of Ecclesiastes, I found it difficult.  The book is so full of futility – of looking to find meaning in prosperity, in riches, in prestige, in “things.”  But, I also came to realize that there IS NO MEANING in life APART from CHRIST!  Riches, “things,” a good job, money, prestige, the “right” friends – they will not stay with you.  It is ONLY JESUS!

But – I remembered this hymn from my childhood.  “If I gained the world, but lost the Savior – were my life worth living for a day?”  “Had I wealth and love in fullest measure, and a name revered both far and near, YET no hope beyond, no harbor waiting….”  ”O what emptiness!—without the Savior, ’Mid the sins and sorrows here below!  And eternity, how dark without Him!”  Here’s the answer, though – “If I have but Jesus, only Jesus, Nothing else in all the world beside—O then everything is mine in Jesus;  For my needs and more He will provide.”

Since moving out to Indianapolis, and leaving behind so many “things” – my job, my church, my ministry at the piano, family and friends – I have found that there really is ONLY fulfillment in Jesus Christ!  The house I lived in is sold, my former classroom is now being taught by a newer and younger teacher, many others are playing the piano, and my family is now almost 1,000 miles away.  We are so easily “replaced!”  While my family will never be replaced in my heart, or I in theirs, and I cherish the love of my new husband, I do realize that time passes, and things are different.  There is a CONSTANT.  There is something that will NEVER CHANGE.  That – my Savior’s love.  God’s presence.  His Holy Spirit indwelling.

Did Solomon ever discover that?  Did he ever go beyond “vanity of vanities.  All is vanity.”?  How sad!  I want to live my life so that it has meaning, not only for me, but for those around me.  How can I invest in others so that they, too, will KNOW that eternity is dark without Him?  How can I share my life now, in Indy, so that others will seek Him, and find Him?  While I KNOW that life is short, but my life in Him is eternal – do others?  The neighbor down the street who loves to garden?  The neighbor who is a recluse?  The neighbor whose dog bit me last week?  His children?

P – Father God – I am SO thankful that I have You.  You have brought meaning to my life.  I don’t have to say, “Vanity of vanities.  All is vanity.”  I can say “Hallelujah!  All I have is Christ!”  Father, as I go through this day, giving blood, making a blanket for a new foster baby, taking a walk through my neighborhood, and running a few errands, give me open eyes, and an open heart.  Help me to see those around me who do not have hope.  Who do now know You.  Thank You for your constant faithfulness in my life.  Thank You for Your presence.  Thank You for ALL that You have given me.  My life has meaning – in You, and because of You.

1. If I gained the world, but lost the Savior,
   Were my life worth living for a day?
   Could my yearning heart find rest and comfort
   In the things that soon must pass away?
   If I gained the world, but lost the Savior,
   Would my gain be worth the lifelong strife?
   Are all earthly pleasures worth comparing
   For a moment with a Christ-filled life?

2. Had I wealth and love in fullest measure,
   And a name revered both far and near,
   Yet no hope beyond, no harbor waiting,
   Where my storm-tossed vessel I could steer;
   If I gained the world, but lost the Savior,
   Who endured the cross and died for me,
   Could then all the world afford a refuge,
   Whither, in my anguish, I might flee?

3. O what emptiness!—without the Savior
   ’Mid the sins and sorrows here below!
   And eternity, how dark without Him!
   Only night and tears and endless woe!
   What, though I might live without the Savior,
   When I come to die, how would it be?
   O to face the valley’s gloom without Him!
   And without Him all eternity!

4. O the joy of having all in Jesus!
   What a balm the broken heart to heal!
   Ne’er a sin so great, but He’ll forgive it,
   Nor a sorrow that He does not feel!
   If I have but Jesus, only Jesus,
   Nothing else in all the world beside—
   O then everything is mine in Jesus;
   For my needs and more He will provide.

Easter Hymns Reflection – The Power of the Cross

Week Two – Day 5 – Friday, March 18, 2016

The Power of the Cross (Kristyn Getty0 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aowdjLeaCYs

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought,
Ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

The Power of the Cross
Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Week Two – Day 5 – Friday, March 18, 2016

The Power of the Cross – Matthew 27:1-59, Mark 14:1-39, Mark 15:20-47 , Luke 22:66 – 23:49, John 19:16-37 , 2 Corinthians 13:4 , Galatians 6:14-15

2 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV) – ⁴ For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

Galatians 6:14-15 (ESV) – ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.¹⁵ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

O – This song takes us through the story of the crucifixion – to the reality of Christ’s finished work on the cross.  While Christ was beaten, scorned, and nailed to the cross, he ALSO CARRIED our SIN on the cross as well.  While the physical pain must have been immense, it had to be the agony of bearing the sin of the world on Him, and having His own Father turn His back on Him.  But “It is Finished,” brings the work of salvation to completion in His death.  It wasn’t His life that was finished, it was the work of salvation!

A – This song never fails to move me.  It takes me from Christ’s death to His victory, but it also travels the road in between.  All that Christ endured.  All that He suffered.  All that He bore – for me.  Christ became sin – for me!  Christ took the blame for sin – for me!   Christ bore the wrath of God – for me!

This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for me.
What a love! What a cost!
I stand forgiven at the cross.

P – Father God, there are no words today to express my thanks, my gratitude, my emotions at the realization of Your forgiveness – of me.  All that Christ endured – for me.  As we enter this Holy Week, I ask that You continue to work within me, bringing realization and a holy reverence for the work of Christ – for me.  Thank You for Your forgiveness and acceptance of Christ’s death as payment for my sins.  Help me to live for you, in the full knowledge and awareness of the cost of my forgiveness.