Scripture: Ecclesiastes 6 and Psalm 17
I was trying to wrap my mind around Ecclesiastes 6 for today’s post, but it’s a tough one. Solomon (or whoever wrote Ecclesiastes) was the wisest man to ever live so it’s no surprise that his writings really stretch the mind and require the help of the Holy Spirit to understand. When I was about to give up on it I hopped over to Psalm 17. I found some help there I think.
Ecclesiastes 6 starts:
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place?
Vs 1-6
And then in Psalm 17 David (the man after God’s own heart) is praying and references the wicked:
13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him!
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, O LORD,
from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their womb with treasure;
they are satisfied with children,
and they leave their abundance to their infants.
I believe they’re both talking about the same thing: the futility of living for this world alone.
Put your hope in eternity instead.
{And remember the practice of letting scripture interpret scripture.}
Journal: Write a prayer and ask the Lord to help you live a life set for eternity. Also, always pray before reading His word that He’ll help you understand His word through His Spirit.
Move: Here’s something from my archives:
Praise the Lord, and keep showing up.
Free and Fearless 