Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People
Photo by Victoriano Izquierdo on Unsplash Read: Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 This question is similar to its opposite: "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" Both questions refer to what seems to be the perplexing injustice we witness every day. The 73rd Psalm is our answer to the very same questions that also tormented the psalmist. Finding himself in terrible distress and agony of soul he writes, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2-3).
Finding Balance
Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash Read: Ecclessiastes 7 I think about death a lot. Don’t think I’m weird. I didn’t used to. It’s just that I’ve reached an age where I probably have less years on earth than I have now lived. Death—my death--has become more real. Some dear friends have died. Some family members have died. Some of my friends’ parents have died. Some of my friends’ children have died. Just recently, Tim Keller, a brilliant, winsome champion of our faith, passed into glory; though I never knew him, I am mourning. Death is real. Very. I wonder how I will die. When I will die. What I will see when I die. Whether I will
Worthy of Praise
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash As I am writing this, I am a few hours from loading up my children in the car to join Jerry in Georgia for the funeral of his mother. It is times like these that make life and the end of that life become more real and make you think about what to do with that life. We have seen this thought in Ecclesiastes over and over again: what do we do with this life that we have been given? Earlier this week, as I was walking and waiting for word on
Listening as Worship
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash Scripture "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words." Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 (ESV) The teacher of Ecclesiastes cares
Wisdom and Balance
Photo by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash Read: Ecclesiastes 4:4-16 "Find the right balance"—that thought has become something of a cliché in the modern West. We are exhorted to find the right balance between work and family, not spending too much time at the former or too little time with the latter. It is important, we are told, to balance our time serving others with time for ourselves. Counselors, doctors, human resources personnel, advertisers, and more all repeat the mantra "find balance." "Despite the fact that the idea of "finding the right balance" has become somewhat of a
My Friend, The Teacher
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash When I was a teenager and a budding Christian, I discovered Ecclesiastes. Full of angst and driving questions, my young heart found a friend in the Teacher. This man was emotional. This man spoke what I felt—that nothing made sense. He was right; life was pointless, circular, tragic. I still consider the Teacher a dear friend. Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there. I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Photo by Ross Stone on Unsplash Do you ever look at something that others think is extremely ugly, but instead, you find it lovely? There is a road that we travel down every once in a while, and in the middle of a field stands a single, dead tree. There is not one leaf on it. The branches are black and twisted. Could a fire have damaged it? Lightning? I don’t know. What I do know is that I find the old, twisted, majestic tree a beautiful sight. This makes me think of our passage this week. Ecclesiastes 3
Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters
Photo by USGS on Unsplash Ecclesiastes 2:18-22 (ESV) 18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled
Riffing on Ecclesiastes
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash Read: Ecclesiastes 1:16-2:17 Ecclesiastes is an extraordinary book for our culture and context. Various people throughout time have found understanding, comfort, and hope from books of the Bible that seem to particularly address their context and situation. People suffering from oppression have found solace in promises of justice from the books of Exodus, Isaiah, and Psalms. Those who live in dark times or suffer from a darkness that seems to chase them, find companionship with Job, Jeremiah, and David in their laments. Just as there seems to be a season for everything, the Bible seems to have something to say to everyone, in every place, and in
Ecclesiastes as Encouragement
Photo by Zugr on Unsplash Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 When this book was first mentioned to me, I was sitting next to Pastor Larry and exclaimed, “I love Ecclesiastes! It is so encouraging.” Needless to say I got a bit of a quizzical look from our Pastor. He even questioned why I wouldn’t pick Philippians or Colossians as encouraging books. It isn't that I don’t see those books as encouraging, but for me, there is a different type of encouragement that comes from the message of Ecclesiastes. I often describe myself as a recovering perfectionist. From an early age I
