Monday, June 11, 2012

Monday, June 11th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is 1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3
Today's scripture focus is Ecclesiastes 6:1-6


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.
A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?


This passage brings up a few questions for us to consider.

Do we enjoy the wealth, possessions and honour that God has given us?  The fact is, wealthy people aren't the people with the most stuff.  Wealthy people are the ones that are able to enjoy the stuff they do have (no matter how much or how little that is).  (V 1 and 2).   Winning the "who has the most stuff" contest doesn't matter if you don't enjoy it.  When the goal is stuff, the goal is never reached because we are never satisfied.

Also - do we have people who we share and enjoy our wealth with?  If we have a hundred children and live a hundred years, but nobody shows up at our funeral because we never invested in any relationships and nobody really cares if you live or die - well that's sad.  A stillborn child that's loved and remembered is better off than that - that child at least has a legacy and a memory.

Mark Driscoll (emphasis mine)....
Some people struggle with loneliness. I think where he’s going with this is they actually struggle with selfishness. Because generous people tend to not be lonely. We all love to hang out with people who are generous. But, people that are selfish, people that are greedy, people that are absolutely self-absorbed, they’re very lonely. And their funeral isn’t an occasion for lots of people that they touched, and encouraged, and loved, and devoted themselves to, to gather around and to say nice things.....And it’s not just how much money you made or what neighborhood you lived in or how many cars you got to drive, but really it is the memories, and the friendships, and the love, and the grace, and the kindness that God gave you, that you shared with others. That then, they, at the end of your life, reflect back and remember that you were one of the ways that God was kind to them because he was working through you. And he says, “You know what? That really is wealth.

Do you enjoy what God's given you?
And do you invest in relationships in such a way that other people enjoy it with you?

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Ecclesiastes 6:7-12
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage:  1 Kings 7, 2 Chronicles 4

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