17 Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time– For strength and not for drunkenness! 18 Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks. 19 A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything. 20 Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter.
Ecclesiastes 10:17-20
Keep something in mind as you read through Ecclesiastes. Life may feel chaotic, but it isn’t truly out of control. God is in control. He is sovereign over all things. He providently works the “counsel of His will” for His glory and for “our good.” (Ephesians 1:11 & Romans 8:28).
Seeing that all this is true, we can trust God. Life possesses inherent meaning, and it is not appropriate to characterize God as inactive. He is working on our behalf and moving history to His desired end.
We cannot trust our feelings and emotions alone. Feelings can fool us. We must trust in the revealed word of God. He will do what He has promised.
**He has promised His presence (Matthew 28:20)
**He has promised His power (Romans 15:30)
**He has promised His peace (John 14:27)
**He has promised us a place in heaven(John 14:1-3)
Trust in God’s promises. They are trustworthy and true.
You are loved! You are loved more than you can ever know.
The Bible tells us how much we are loved. God’s Word has revealed the one, true God who loves us in word and deed.
He loves us unconditionally……
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
He loves us unwaveringly…….
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He loves us sacrificially……
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We should never frustrate the love of God by living in willful sin. But, we know that He will forgive us when we call on Him in repentance. (1 John 1:9-10)
We know that it may not always feel like God loves us. But, we also know that His love is not based on feelings. God loves us because He chooses to love us.
Always remember the love God has for you. May this simple truth undergird and encourage you this day, and every day!
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place. 7 I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants. 8 He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, And he who splits wood may be endangered by it. 10 If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success. 11 A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different. 12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up; 13 The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. 14 A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him? 15 The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city! 16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning! 17 Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time– For strength and not for drunkenness! 18 Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks. 19 A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything. 20 Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter.
Ecclesiastes 10:5-20
The inane madness of this world is seen very readily today just as it was in the days of the King. It is meaningless and insane. Once again, the preacher breaks it down for us to see in plain fashion. Here are some thoughts about the madness of life.
**Solomon begins by telling us that the fool ends up in authority. This is one example of the vanity of life on this earth. Not every leader is a fool. However, some truly are. It’s illogical, yet undeniably true.
**Though work is good and healthy, it can also be harmful in certain cases. Work doesn’t mean that all our wishes and desires will be fulfilled. Working hard does not guarantee material wealth.
**The foolish receive recognition and fame. Those who seem to be the least worthy of recognition receive fame and fortune. In our day, we have folks who are famous for nothing. They haven’t achieved anything of significance. But somehow, they end up well-known and even adored.
**At times, rulers are self-seeking and foolish. This thought should not surprise us. Solomon has made this point several times already in the book of Ecclesiastes.
**Laziness can also lead to disaster. Some give in to laziness and fail to take care of God’s blessings. The results of this folly can be devastating not just for the slothful one but also for his/her family. God has blessed us with much and we ought to take care of it.
**Finally, Solomon teaches us that our words can be used against us. I would imagine that has happened to you. To be fair, sometimes we use our words to tear down and destroy and that is wrong. At times, language intended for positive purposes may be misused, resulting in misinformation or misrepresentation.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of Godmay be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Bible is the persuasive force for salvation and growth in the life of a Believer. Maturity and growth occur through the study and application of God’s Word. The Scriptures promote maturity, joy, and peace for the Christian.
The Bible isn’t just a moral guidebook; it’s a powerful tool that God uses to draw us to Himself. Through its pages, we discover the grand narrative of creation, fall, and redemption. We learn about our own sinful nature and our desperate need for a Savior. But we also encounter the incredible news of God’s love and grace, manifested in the person of Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:17 reminds us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” It’s through Scripture that we’re persuaded of our need for salvation and led to put our trust in Christ. But the Bible’s persuasive power doesn’t stop at salvation – it continues to work in our lives, urging us towards spiritual maturity and deeper devotion to God.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Ephesians 4:4-6
Paul speaks here of the “ones” of the Christian faith. They are…
**One Body
**One Spirit
**One Hope
**One Lord
**One Faith
**One Baptism
**One Father
There are not many ways to heaven. Only one way leads to paradise. Jesus is the way. Christ is the one way. Christ is the only way.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16
Christians should be equipped to fight Satan in every way. Paul teaches us about faith Ephesians 6:16. Faith is one of the spiritual armaments the Believer is given to live a holy life. Christians should take up the shield of faith for the following reasons:
14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
James 4:14
Life on this planet is brief. Compared to eternity, our existence here is truly just a small blip on the screen. There is no guarantee of tomorrow. In light of all this what are we to do?
Believe in Jesus and be saved. Trust Jesus for our future. And live for Him each day that we have. Tomorrow may never arrive. Let us use this day to honor and glorify our Lord!
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble!20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 2:17-26
A faith that does not result in works is a faith that has no worth. The Apostle makes this point abundantly clear. Genuine, saving faith in Christ will, of necessity, result in a changed life that desires to do the works of God.
Even the demons believe that God exists and they know His truthfulness is secure. But mental assent to the reality and power of God is not enough. Just saying true things about the Lord is inadequate. For the Christian, saving faith results in a changed life.
Abraham and Rahab are used as examples of the point James is making. Both persons believed God by faith about events that had not yet taken place. And each one acted upon their faith by doing what God said to do. Rahab and Abraham, though far from perfect, are sterling illustrations of biblical faith and works.
Christians are saved by grace, through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Christians will also perform good works as a result of and evidence of saving faith. (Ephesians 2:10) Faith and works are not in competition with each other. Both will be revealed as authentic in the life of a Christian over time.
1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”
James 2:1-3
The Apostle moves to the subject of favoritism in chapter 2. James condemns favoritism in all its forms in these verses. The particular emphasis seems to be on class and financial status in verses 2-3.
This Scripture teaches us to treat others justly and equally. Everyone is to be treated with dignity and grace no matter the differences in societal class, money, or position. In the church, everyone is a part of the body and no one is more important or less important.
Christ is the head of the church and all who make up that body are saved and sanctified forevermore. Even our guests who are not a part of the church should be treated with dignity and love. No one is favored above the others. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-6
**That I would grow in faith
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17
**That I would love God more
And he answered, ” You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself .”
**That I would share the gospel message
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
Have wonderful New Year and may God bless you all in 2024!
mrtonyfrench 