Day 205: Ecclesiastes 10, 11 and 12

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap (Ecclesiastes 11:4).

In the Gospel According to Ian Flemming we are introduced to the Apostle Bond… James Bond. Bond has so many qualities that make him uniquely 007, but the one most crucial to his survival is that he never hesitates. He sees an opportunity and he acts. I think of Pierce Brosnan jumping off the hydroelectric dam and sky diving into the cockpit of a freefalling small plane, taking the controls and flying himself to safety (GoldenEye, 1995). Or there was the time Roger Moore had to escape in the everglades from the henchman’s lair surrounded by alligator infested waters. He simply ran across the pond stepping on the backs of each alligator in turn until he was safely across (Live and Let Die, 1973).

If that was me, I’d stand there having a debate with myself, Should I go now? No. Maybe now? No. And I’d wind up with a bullet in my back before I even made up my mind!

I had no idea the preacher of Ecclesiastes was a 007 fan, but apparently he was. He taught that it is better to seize an opportunity, even if it’s less than perfect, than to wait for perfect conditions that may never come. General George Patton remarked: “A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

How many good opportunities have we let slip through our fingers because we were waiting for the perfect opportunity? And did that perfect opportunity come? Probably not.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

What are you waiting for?

Day 204: Ecclesiastes 7, 8 and 9

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you (Ecclesiastes 7:21).

This is a rich example of Ancient Near East humor and wisdom rolled into one. First the writer warns that if we strain our ears listening for someone to praise us, we might just hear someone maligning us instead. If we would have minded our own business we wouldn’t have heard the praise, but then we wouldn’t have heard the insult either. And, who are we kidding? Even a dozen accolades can’t take the sting out of one insult.

Reminds me of a pastor I know who had just finished preaching and was standing at the back door shaking hands. Several people told him they liked his sermon, and he was rather enjoying it. Then a man walked up and asked, “Is that the best you can do?”

We can’t soak up the praise, without opening ourselves up to the criticism too.

And part of what makes this all so funny is that we’ve done exactly the same thing. The writer continues: ...for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others (v. 22).

But it sounded so innocent when I said it about him, and so mean when he said it about me.

Listen hard enough, and you’re guaranteed to hear something that hurts your feelings. And face it: There’s only one opinion that really counts.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Who are you listening to? What’s God say about that?

Day 203: Ecclesiastes 4, 5 and 6

All toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another (Ecclesiastes 4:4).

My truck is 14 years old with 195,000+ miles. It probably wasn’t the truck I would have picked out for myself, but the friend I bought it from needed a break. Now I can honestly say I love it – best vehicle I’ve ever owned.

There’s nothing special about it. It’s not an extended cab… doesn’t even have power locks or windows. For my younger friends, that means I actually have to turn a crank to raise or lower the windows. I know. Archaic! Unlocking it requires a key! Look it up in an encyclopedia. On the Internet, of course.

When I bought my truck, my kids Ben and Will were 9 and 6. Now they’re 21 and 18. The three of us fitted… fit?... fat?... fitted in the cab a lot easier then than we do now. Picture eyes bugged out, and elbows digging into ribs.

Here’s my point. I’m content with my pick-up… until, that is, I see a TV commercial for a flashy new car or truck... or I drive past the dealership... or I see a new vehicle in my neighbor’s driveway. Then my contentment evaporates and I desperately need a NEW CAR!!! One moment I’m not even thinking about a new car; next minute that’s all I can think about. What was sufficient is no longer good enough; it’s all about keeping up with the Joneses.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

What new thing, bright and shiny, are you coveting? Is there not more to life than that? What desire has God planted in your heart?

Day 202: Ecclesiastes 1, 2 and 3

He has also set eternity in the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

The very fact that we aspire to something greater than this mortal life is seen by some as proof that not only are we God’s creation, but also that something glorious waits for us beyond the grave. As the writer here has so eloquently said, we have been given the capacity to reach beyond what we can see and touch, and to encounter the living God. How could we be satisfied with anything less?

It’s no wonder we get bored. We set our hearts on temporary things when we were meant to strive for things eternal. We fill our days with spirit-numbing activity when we were designed to touch God. We settle for a paycheck when we were intended to transform our culture. We sit on the couch when we should be out storming the gates of hell. We are satisfied with just getting by when we were destined for glory.

This is not to suggest that I must strive to be someone I am not, but rather that I have been tasked with being the very best me that I can be. There is a well-known story told by Rabbi Zusya, an early Hassidic rabbi. He said, “In the world to come God will not ask me, ‘Zusya, why were you not Moses?’ He will ask, ‘Zusya, why were you not Zusya?’ ”

When we become the person God designed us to be and cooperate with him to do great things, there is nothing which we cannot achieve.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

So how are you, the person God designed you to be, going to change the world this week?

Day 205: Ecclesiastes 10, 11 and 12

Whoever watches the wind will not plant. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)

In the Gospel according to Ian Flemming we are introduced to Apostle Bond… James Bond. Bond has so many qualities that make him uniquely 007, but the one most crucial to his survival is that he never hesitates. He sees an opportunity and he acts. I think of Pierce Brosnan jumping off the hydroelectric dam and skydiving into the cockpit of a freefalling small plane, taking the controls and flying himself to safety (GoldenEye, 1995). Or there was the time Roger Moore had to escape in the everglades from the henchman’s lair surrounded by alligator infested waters. He simply ran across the pond stepping on the backs of each alligator in turn until he was safely across (Live and Let Die, 1973).

If that was me, I’d stand there having a debate with myself. “Should I go now? No. Maybe now? No.” And I’d wind up with a bullet in my back before I even made up my mind!

I had no idea the preacher of Ecclesiastes was a 007 fan, but apparently he was. He taught that it was better to seize and opportunity, even if it’s less than perfect, than to wait for perfect conditions that may never come. General George Patton remarked: “A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

How many good opportunities have we let slip through our fingers because we were waiting for the perfect opportunity? And did that perfect opportunity come? Probably not.

What are you waiting for?

Day 204: Ecclesiastes 7, 8 and 9

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you   atmay hear your servant cursing you. (Ecclesiastes 7:21)

This is a wonderful example of Ancient Near East humor and wisdom rolled into one. First the writer warns that if we strain our ears listening for someone to praise us, we might just hear someone maligning us instead. If we would have minded our own business we wouldn't have heard the praise, but then we wouldn't have heard the insult either. And, who are we kidding? Even a dozen accolades can't take the sting out of one insult.

Reminds me of a pastor I know who had just finished preaching and was standing at the back door shaking hands. Several people told him they enjoyed the sermon, and he was rather enjoying it. Then a man walked up and asked, Is that the best you can do?

And part of what makes this all so funny is that we've done exactly the same thing. The writer continues: ...for you know in your heart that you yourself have cursed others (v. 22).

But it sounded so innocent when I said it about him, and so mean when he said it about me.

Listen hard enough, and you're guaranteed to hear something that hurts your feelings. And face it: There’s only one opinion that really counts.

Who are you listening to?

Day 203: Ecclesiastes 4, 5 and 6

All labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. (Ecclesiastes 4:4)

My truck is 13 years old with 180,000+ miles. It probably wasn’t the truck I would have picked out for myself, but the friend I bought it from needed a break. Now I can honestly say I love it – best vehicle I've ever owned.

There's nothing special about it. It's not an extended cab… doesn't even have power locks or windows. For my younger friends, that means I actually have to turn a crank to raise or lower the windows. I know. Archaic! Unlocking it requires a key! Look it up in an encyclopedia. Online, of course.

When I bought my truck, my kids Ben and Will were 9 and 6. Now they're 20 and 17. The three of us fit in the cab a lot easier then than we do now. Picture eyes bugged out, and elbows digging into ribs.

Here's my point. I'm content with my pick-up. Until, that is, I see a TV commercial for a flashy new car or truck... or I drive past the dealership... or I see a new vehicle in my neighbor’s driveway. Then my contentment evaporates and I desperately need a NEW CAR!!! One moment I'm not even thinking about a new car; next minute that's all I can think about. What was sufficient is no longer good enough; it's all about keeping up with the Joneses.

What new thing, bright and shiny, are you coveting?

Day 202: Ecclesiastes 1, 2 and 3

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.(Ecclesiastes 3:11).

The very fact that we aspire to something greater than this mortal life is seen by some as proof that not only are we God's creation, but also that something glorious waits for us beyond the grave. As the writer here has so eloquently said, we have been given the capacity to reach beyond what we can see and touch, and to encounter the living God. How could we be satisfied with anything less?

It's no wonder we get bored. We set our hearts on temporary things when we were meant to strive for things eternal. We fill our days with spirit-numbing activity when we were designed to touch God. We settle for a paycheck when we were intended to transform our culture. We sit on the couch when we should be out storming the gates of hell. We are satisfied with just getting by when we were destined for glory.

This is not to suggest that I should strive to be someone I'm not, but that I have been tasked with being the very best me I can be. There is a well known story told by Rabbi Zusya, and early Hasidic rabbi. He said, "In the world to come God will not ask me, 'Zusya, why were you not Moses?' He will ask, 'Zusya, why were you not Zusya?' "

When we become the person God designed us to be and cooperate with him to accomplish great things, there is nothing which we cannot achieve.

So how are you, the person God designed you to be, going to change the world this week?

Day 205: Ecclesiastes 10, 11 and 12

Whoever watches the wind will not plant. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)

The preacher of Ecclesiastes teaches that it is better to seize an opportunity, even if it's less than perfect, than to wait for perfect conditions that may never materialize. General George Patton remarked: A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

How many good opportunities have we let slip through our fingers because we were waiting for the perfect opportunity? And did that perfect opportunity ever come? Probably not.

What are you waiting for?

Day 204: Ecclesiastes 7, 8 and 9

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you. (Ecclesiastes 7:21)

This is a wonderful example of Ancient Near East humor and wisdom rolled into one. First the writer warns that if we strain our ears listening for someone to praise us, we might just hear someone maligning us instead. If we would have minded our own business we wouldn't have heard the praise, but then we wouldn't have heard the insult either. And, who are we kidding? Even a dozen accolades can't take the sting out of one insult.

Reminds me of a pastor I know who had just finished preaching and was standing at the back door shaking hands. Several people told him they enjoyed the sermon, and he was rather enjoying it. Then a man walked up and asked, Is that the best you can do?

And part of what makes this all so funny is that we've done exactly the same thing. The writer continues: ...for you know in your heart that you yourself have cursed others (v. 22).

But it sounded so innocent when I said it about him, and so mean when he said it about me.

Listen hard enough, and you're guaranteed to hear something that hurts your feelings. And face it: There's only one opinion that really counts.

Who are you listening to?

Day 203: Ecclesiastes 4, 5 and 6

All labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. (Ecclesiastes 4:4)

My truck is 12 years old with 175,000+ miles. It probably wasn't the truck I would have picked out for myself, but the friend I bought it from needed a break. Now I can honestly say I love it - best vehicle I've ever owned.

There's nothing special about it. It's not an extended cab... doesn't even have power locks or windows. For my younger friends, that means I actually have to turn a crank to raise or lower the windows. I know. Archaic! Unlocking it requires a key! Look it up in an encyclopedia. Online, of course.

When I bought my truck, my kids Ben and Will were 9 and 6. Now they're 19 and 16. The three of us fit in the cab a lot easier then than we do now. Picture eyes bugged out, and elbows digging into ribs.

Here's my point. I'm content with my pick-up. Until, that is, I see a TV commercial for a flashy new car or truck... or I drive past the dealership... or I see a new vehicle in my neighbor's driveway. Then my contentment evaporates and I desperately need a NEW CAR!!! One minute I'm not even thinking about a new car; next minute that's all I can think about. What was sufficient is no longer good enough; it's all about keeping up with the Joneses.

What new thing, bright and shiny, are you coveting?

Day 202: Ecclesiastes 1, 2 and 3

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The very fact that we aspire to something greater than this mortal life is seen by some as proof that not only are we God's creation, but also that something glorious waits for us beyond the grave. As the writer here has so eloquently said, we have been given the capacity to reach beyond what we can see and touch, and to encounter the living God. How could we be satisfied with anything less?

It's no wonder we get bored. We set our hearts on temporary things when we were meant to strive for things eternal. We fill our days with spirit-numbing activity when we were designed to touch God. We sit on the couch when we should be out storming the gates of hell. We settle for a paycheck when we were intended to transform our culture. We are satisfied with just getting by when we were destined for glory?

So how are you going to change the world this week?

Day 205: Ecclesiastes 10, 11 and 12

Whoever watches the wind will not plant. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)

The preacher of Ecclesiastes teaches that it is better to seize an opportunity, even if it's less than perfect, than to wait for perfect conditions that may never come. General George Patton remarked: A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

How many good opportunities have we let slip through our fingers because we were waiting for the perfect opportunity? And did that perfect opportunity come? Probably not.

What are you waiting for?

Day 204: Ecclesiastes 7, 8 and 9

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you. (Ecclesiastes 7:21).

This is a wonderful example of Ancient Near East humor and wisdom rolled into one. First the writer warns that if we strain our ear muscles listening for people's praise, we're bound to hear someone maligning us. If we would have minded our own business we wouldn't have heard the praise, but then we wouldn't have heard the insult either. And, who are we kidding? Even a dozen accolades can't take the sting out of one insult.

A pastor I know had just finished preaching and was standing at the back door shaking hands. A man walked up and asked, Is that the best you can do?

Reminds me of the time we were getting ready to go out for the evening and my wife asked, Is that what you're wearing?

Uh... no; are you kidding? Wear this? How could you even ask that?

And part of what makes this all so funny is that we've done exactly the same thing. The writer continues: ...for you know in your heart that you yourself have cursed others (v. 22).

But it sounded so innocent when I said it about him, and so mean when he said it about me.

Listen hard enough and you're guaranteed to hear something that hurts your feelings. And face it: There's only one opinion that really counts.

Who are you listening to?

Day 203: Ecclesiastes 4, 5 and 6

All labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. (Ecclesiastes 4:4)

My truck is 11 years old with 170,000+ miles. It probably wasn't the truck I would have picked out for myself, but the woman I bought it from needed the money. Now I can honestly say I love it - best vehicle I've ever owned.

There's nothing special about my truck. It's not an extended cab, and doesn't even have power locks or windows. For my younger friends, that means one actually has to turn a crank to raise or lower the windows. I know. Archaic! Unlocking it requires a key! Look it up in an encyclopedia. I mean on line.

When I bought my truck, Ben and Will were 9 and 6. Now they're 18 and allllmost 15. The three of us fit in the cab a lot easier then than we do now. Picture eyes bugged out, and elbows digging into ribs.

Here's my point. I'm content with my truck. Until, that is, I see a TV commercial for a flashy new car or truck... or I drive past the dealership... or I see a new vehicle in my neighbor's driveway. Then my contentment evaporates and I desperately need a NEW CAR!!! One moment I'm not even thinking about a new car; next minute that's all I can think about. What was good enough is no longer sufficient. It's all about keeping up with the Joneses.

What new thing, bright and shiny, are you coveting?

Day 202: Ecclesiastes 1, 2 and 3

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The very fact that we aspire to something greater than this mortal life is seen as proof by some that we are God's creation. As the writer here has so eloquently said, we have been given the capacity to reach beyond what we can see and touch, and to encounter the living God. How could we be satisfied with anything less?

It's no wonder we get bored. We set our hearts on temporary things when we were meant to strive for things eternal. We fill our days with spirit-numbing activity when we were designed to encounter God. We settle for a paycheck when we were intended to transform our culture. We are satisfied with just getting by when we were destined for glory.

So how are you going to change the world this week?

Day 205: Ecclesiastes 10 - 12

Whoever watches the wind will not plant. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)

The preacher of Ecclesiastes teaches that it is better to seize an opportunity, even if it's less than perfect, than to wait for a perfect opportunity that may never come. General George Patton remarked: A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

How many good opportunities have we let slip through our fingers because we were waiting for a perfect opportunity? And did that perfect opportunity come? Probably not.

What are you waiting for?

Day 204: Ecclesiastes 7 - 9

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you. (Ecclesiastes 7:21)

This is a wonderful example of Ancient Near East humor and wisdom rolled into one. First the writer warns that if we listen hard enough to hear people praising us, we're just as likely to hear someone maligning us. If we would have minded our own business, we wouldn't have heard the praise, but then we wouldn't have heard the insult either. And, who are we kidding? Even a dozen accolades can't take the sting out of one insult.

A pastor I know had just finished preaching and was standing at the back door shaking hands. A man walked up and asked, Is that the best you can do?

Reminds me of the time we were getting ready to go out for the evening and my wife asked, Is that what you're going to wear?

Uh... no; are you kidding? Wear this? How could you even ask that?

And part of what makes this all so funny is that we've done exactly the same thing. The writer continues: ...for you know in your heart that you yourself have cursed others. But it sounded so innocent when I said it about him, and so mean when he said it about me.

Listen hard enough, and you're bound to hear something that hurts your feelings.

Who are you listening to? There's only one opinion that really counts.

Day 203: Ecclesiastes 4 - 6

All labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. (Ecclesiastes 4:4)

My truck is 10 years old with 160,000+ miles. I love that truck – the best vehicle I've ever owned. I bought it from a woman whose husband was serving 12 years for vehicular manslaughter, and she needed the money. (No, I don't think my truck was involved in the accident.)

There's nothing special about my truck. It's not an extended cab, and doesn't even have power locks or windows. For my younger friends, that means one actually has to turn a crank to raise or lower the windows. I know. Archaic! Unthinkable! Unlocking it requires a key! Look it up in an encyclopedia.

When I bought my truck, Ben and Will were 9 and 6. Now they're 17 and alllllmost 14. The three of us fit a lot easier 8 years ago than we do now. Picture eyes bugged out, and elbows digging into ribs.

Here's my point. I'm content with my truck. Until, that is, I see a TV commercial for a flashy new car or truck... or I drive past the dealership... or one of my friends gives me a lift in his new ride. Then my contentment evaporates and I desperately need a NEW CAR!!! What was good enough is no longer sufficient. And what was not even a remote desire morphs into a raging lust. It's all about keeping up with the Joneses.

What new thing, bright and shiny, are you coveting?

Day 202: Ecclesiastes 1 - 3

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The very fact that we aspire to something greater than this mortal life is seen as proof by some that we are God's creation. As the writer here has so eloquently said, we have been given the capacity to reach beyond what we can see and touch, and to encounter the living God. How could we be satisfied with anything less?

It's no wonder we get bored. We set our hearts on temporary things when we were meant to strive for things eternal. We fill our days with spirit-numbing activity when we were meant to encounter God. We settle for a paycheck when we were meant to transform our culture. We are satisfied with getting by when we were meant for glory.

So how are you going to change the world this week?