The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ecclesiastes 3:14,
"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him."
"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him."
As Solomon speaks of the emptiness and meaninglessness of the activities people pursue in this life, "under the sun", the question naturally arises, "Then for what purpose has God created us?" Why are we here? The answer is found within this verse.
Life here, "under the sun", has one singular purpose. That purpose is that this life is a proving ground. As we live our lives God looks for all who will embrace him in faith (expressed here as fearing him). Every other activity we engage in feeds that one purpose. We raise our families to produce candidates for God's kingdom - all who will reach out and embrace him.
Getting an education, learning a trade, getting married, having and raising children, the diversions we find for entertainment all have little meaning in this life apart from God's purpose of growing his kingdom. As those things contribute toward pursuing God's kingdom, they become purposeful and meaningful.
God has provided us a world where the context for faith can flourish. God looks for those who will reach out to him. All others get caught up in the meaninglessness Solomon speaks of, as if those things are the reason we are here.
The adage, "He who wins dies with the most toys" is the very antithesis of Solomon's point in Ecclesiastes. That is simply not the reason we are here. Whatever diversions keep us from finding our way into the kingdom of God are meaningless. They all perish with us.
Our one great and ultimate purpose in this life is to find Jesus Christ and embrace him. A great second one is found in helping others do likewise.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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