The Attributes of God:

Finding Support in a Broken World” Ecclesiastes 4 “Two are Better than one because they have a good return for their labor.”                   A popular preacher today has written a book, “Your Best Life Now.” In the book, he sets forth his principles for living a life of fulfillment, joy, and victory. The only thing holding you back is your attitude. All you have to do to find the best life is just believe it is possible and then embrace it. However, Solomon confronts us with a different reality. Because we live in a broken world, life does not consistently deliver what we desire. Instead of finding our “best life,” we find a life filled with troubles and challenges that are overwhelming. In a fallen world, we face the reality of oppression. There are individuals who gain power and use that power to oppress God’s people. Tragically, no one comes to their aid. Therefore, we come to the same conclus...

The One Who Controls the Timing of Life Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 Verse 11 “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”                   For those growing up in the 70s, the first eight verses are familiar as they became the words of a popular song by “the Byrds” (yes, that's their name and spelling) entitled “Turn, Turn, Turn.”  The words describe the continual movement of polar-opposite events that characterize life and encompass the totality of the experience. Life is a constant movement from one extreme to another. The day someone is born, other people die. We go through different seasons of life that mirror the seasons of nature. Even relationships come and go. New friends enter our lives while old friends drift away (vs 5). We buy new furniture f...

Defining Success in Life. Ecclesiastes 2 “There is nothing better for man than to eat and drink and tell himself his labor is good. Also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.”                   What defines a successful life? When do we know we have lived life in a way that matters, and that we can look back and affirm we have had a good life? These are the questions the Sage poses to us as he explores the purpose of life. He confronts us with many assumptions about what a successful life is.                   He begins by examining a life of ease and enjoyment. It is essential to realize that the life he is describing in 2:1-11 is not the pursuit of unbridle hedonism. The term pleasure refers to the joy and happiness that God gives us. We often measure God’s blessing, not by the spiritual blessings of ...

The Vanity of Life Read Ecclesiastes 1 “Vanities of Vanities, says the Preacher, Vanities of vanities! All is Vanity.”                   Like Job, the book of Ecclesiastes is difficult to understand and has led many to question its message. They see the message as dark and foreboding. In the past, it was seen as man’s conclusion of life apart from God. How then do we understand the book in light of its opening statement?   At first glance, the book seems to begin with the ultimate expression of pessimism: “Vanities of vanities.”                    However, when we delve deeper into the book we discover that the ultimate message is in line with all of scripture; that live has meaning only when we “obey God and keep his commandments” (12:13). The sage takes us a journey, not a journey that le...

Living in Fear or Living by Faith Read Proverbs 26-31 Probers 38:1, “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”                   We live in a culture of fear. We have become fixated on what we should fear. Some things are seen as existential threats, such as global warming, pandemics, and weapons of mass destruction. Other things are seen as a threat to our health and safety: crime, our diet, and the attack of terrorists. Other things are seen as threats to our way of life: the geopolitical landscape, the nation's political leaders, and economic instability. As Frank Furedi, in his book  How Fear Works , points out, “Fear itself has become politicized to a point where debate is rarely about whether or not we should be fearful, but about who or what we should fear.” In this world, even the most mundane and tedious events of life bring fear and require ...

A Balanced View of Poverty. Proverbs 21-25 Proverbs 22:22-23, Do not rob the poor because he is poor or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the Lord will plead their case and take the life of those who rob them.”                    Today, there is a great deal of debate and discussion regarding social justice, poverty, homelessness, and work. Some argue that the homeless are on the streets because of the failure of society, and so we have a responsibility to provide for them. There are those who argue that homelessness is a result of the individual’s own actions, and so we should not help them to hold them accountable for their choices. Some argue that poverty is a result of external circumstances, while others argue that it is a result of personal decisions. So how do we navigate the political debate and the moral responsibilities we have?          ...