September 21, 2006 - Ecclesiastes 7-9 and II Corinthians 13
Solomon found out that life is hard, but God is good to help us through all of the difficulties of life, if we will fear Him and pursue His wisdom. In these chapters Solomon gives us some truths that have to be digested. We might not like the sound of them at first, but we come to see they are reality.
Proverbs 7:3 tells us that we learn more through sorrow than by laughter. That is true. I don't know exactly why it is true, but we are more sensitive to God in times of sorrow than in times of happiness. Our hearts are changed radically during these hard times. Look at verses 16-18. I believe this means that we should not obsessed with behavior,which becomes legalism, because it will drive us crazy, and that we should not become immersed in any kind of sinful behavior, because it will lead to death. However, it also seems that the emphasis is that we should not seek to go to extremes in life. Yes, we should be extreme in our love for the Lord, but not in our mindset toward life itself.
Proverbs 8:15 commends enjoyment of life. Many Christians down through the years have seemed to be totally against this truth. What could Solomon be saying here? It is not talking about being "worldly." It is talking about an attitude toward life in which we can enjoy our lives instead of dreading everything in life. I think it is akin to joy. We can have a good attitude even in the midst of things that are not too pleasant, because we accept God's will for us in life.
I believe most of us would agree with the truths presented in chapter 9. We know that the righteous are in God's hands.(.1) We know that once we die, we are not a part of this world any more. (v.6) We know we should live joyfully and love our spouses. (v.9) We should work hard and accomplish much. (v.10) However, look at the truth of verse 17. This goes against human nature. Most people listen to the people who shout long and loud about something. They give in to their noise. That should not be the case. We should listen to the wise things spoken quietly. That means we need to be sensitive, and we should not put a premium on volume, but on wisdom.
II Corinthians 13 brings Paul's letter to a close. He is going to prepare to come for a visit, and he does not want to have to harsh when he comes. He wants them to respect him as the one who brought them the Gospel, and not to doubt his salvation or his apostleship. In fact, he wants them to love each other and to live in peace. (v.11) I think that is what we should want for all Christians. We should not attack each other, but we should stand up for the truth in a loving way. We should not be proud, but we should live by the grace and power of God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 10-12 and Galatians 1.
Proverbs 7:3 tells us that we learn more through sorrow than by laughter. That is true. I don't know exactly why it is true, but we are more sensitive to God in times of sorrow than in times of happiness. Our hearts are changed radically during these hard times. Look at verses 16-18. I believe this means that we should not obsessed with behavior,which becomes legalism, because it will drive us crazy, and that we should not become immersed in any kind of sinful behavior, because it will lead to death. However, it also seems that the emphasis is that we should not seek to go to extremes in life. Yes, we should be extreme in our love for the Lord, but not in our mindset toward life itself.
Proverbs 8:15 commends enjoyment of life. Many Christians down through the years have seemed to be totally against this truth. What could Solomon be saying here? It is not talking about being "worldly." It is talking about an attitude toward life in which we can enjoy our lives instead of dreading everything in life. I think it is akin to joy. We can have a good attitude even in the midst of things that are not too pleasant, because we accept God's will for us in life.
I believe most of us would agree with the truths presented in chapter 9. We know that the righteous are in God's hands.(.1) We know that once we die, we are not a part of this world any more. (v.6) We know we should live joyfully and love our spouses. (v.9) We should work hard and accomplish much. (v.10) However, look at the truth of verse 17. This goes against human nature. Most people listen to the people who shout long and loud about something. They give in to their noise. That should not be the case. We should listen to the wise things spoken quietly. That means we need to be sensitive, and we should not put a premium on volume, but on wisdom.
II Corinthians 13 brings Paul's letter to a close. He is going to prepare to come for a visit, and he does not want to have to harsh when he comes. He wants them to respect him as the one who brought them the Gospel, and not to doubt his salvation or his apostleship. In fact, he wants them to love each other and to live in peace. (v.11) I think that is what we should want for all Christians. We should not attack each other, but we should stand up for the truth in a loving way. We should not be proud, but we should live by the grace and power of God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 10-12 and Galatians 1.