Worship for Today: Solomon's inspired message - Ecclesiastes.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 12:9-10,

 

"Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true."

 

"What he wrote was upright and true." Perhaps this may have been helpful to have as an introduction to the book. It certainly is very fitting in the conclusion. I wish more folks would take this to heart and not dismiss this book as the ramblings of an old, discouraged and disillusioned man. The truths in this book are both stark and real. Solomon has taken us to where many refuse to go: the truth of the matter of this life. Those who misunderstand the book or are unwilling to accept its message owe Solomon an apology as they point to his shortcomings as king of Israel as cause for this book. Not that he didn't have his shortcomings, they are fully documented in the Scriptures. Solomon's life demonstrates, as does Abraham, Moses, his father, David and others, that faith does not a perfect man make - but makes him righteous in the sight of God.

 

God chose fit to raise up Solomon and equip him with an uncommon wisdom. As a man carried along by the Holy Spirit as he wrote this book (1 Peter 1:20-21), he tells us about the futility of "life under the sun". God clearly does not want us to be distracted by the trappings of this life. The analysis Solomon provides us of this life, without reference to what lies beyond it, reveals its futility, meaninglessness and emptiness. It is a message God wants us to know. Clearly, God wants us to focus on what lies beyond this life and the importance of how our choices in this life impact our lives in the next. This book points us to the view of the heroes of faith:

 

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:13-16.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: God answers prayer!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 11:3,

 

"If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie."

 

This verse strikes me from the perspective of whatever it is, it is what it is. If something is going to happen, it is going to happen the way it will. "Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie."

 

Is this the only perspective? Life viewed from the perspective of "life under the sun", the perspective Solomon speaks to in this short book, it seems so. It could lead to a somewhat fatalistic outlook on what we can expect in life. There is no control, no appeal, no alternative to what happens. "It is what it is." "What will be will be."

 

However, as we learn about God, there is an entirely different perspective. Reality is not just what we know from "life under the sun". Reality is much, much bigger. What we see, what we know, what we sense and perceive is only a fraction of all of reality. The existence of the spiritual realm is a universe of teeming reality, of which this life is just a fraction. The Scriptures are full of information about that which lays beyond "life under the sun". From them we learn much. The One who designed this world and how it works, the One who established the laws of physics that governs it, the One who knows the hearts of all mankind and what our proclivities are, he is One who has great intelligence. He has very full and pervasive emotions. He has a will of his own and he responds to the events in our world in real time. He also answers prayer...

 

Although some folks struggle with the concept of God's sovereignty, a full and mature view of how God has revealed himself in the Scriptures acknowledges that our totally sovereign God responds to the wills of his creatures in his own way - and he isn't going to check in with me first. Listen to what he tells us. "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it." Jeremiah 18:7-10.

 

The most wonderful acknowledgment of this can be found in the teaching of Jesus on prayer, "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, "Grant me justice against my adversary." For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, "Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!"' And the Lord said, 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.'" Luke 18:1-8a.

 

God does answer prayer! He responds to the pleas of his children and if he chooses to do so, he will intervene in the affairs of this world and bring about that which would not have otherwise happened. "It is what it is" is not always necessarily true, and when it comes to prayer, it just may be that where a tree falls, there it may not lie!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Jesus Christ brings meaningful life!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 11:8,

 

"However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless."

 

Solomon looks to the limitations of life under the sun. He observes that light is sweet and pleases the eye, that a man ought to enjoy all the years he lives, and especially while he is young. But he also observes that the days of darkness will be many and that all that comes a man's way is "meaningless" - it will hold no lasting value for him. So, he says, don't worry about it, "banish anxiety" because this is going to be the case of things - nothing can be done about it. Although a man can be happy with the things of youth, youthfulness will pass in time as well, youth and vigor are meaningless. At some point all die and come into God's judgment.

 

What a bleak outlook! However, this is how life is "under the sun". Why should we expect anything else? Since the fall of man in the garden of Eden, mankind has lived in a cursed and fallen world, estranged from his creator. It is the sin of man that has brought this futility, this meaninglessness to life in this world. We come into it and live our lives here as sinful and rebellious people in a lost and fallen world. In this book Solomon is painfully truthful and dreadfully accurate in his observations. He prepares us to look for that which is found beyond "life under the sun."

 

What lays beyond "life under the sun"? A light has dawned on those living in this darkness! As Jesus Christ entered the world, he brought hope and opportunity for all mankind! He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life." He also said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 14:6 and John 5:24. Here is life with meaning! Here is life with purpose and fulfillment! Here is life that is everlasting!

 

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Our lives belong to God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 12:6-7,

 

"Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."

 

Solomon tells us to remember God before it is too late. It is imperative we turn to God before the end of life when our spirit returns to him. If we don't, we will return to God to face his horrific judgment. If we do, if we embrace his Son, Jesus Christ in faith, we will return to God to reap a rich reward as co-heirs with Jesus Christ. In his wonderful doxology, Jude says, "To him who is able... to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority..." Jude 24-25.

 

I can't help but note something that Solomon points out here, something that seems to slip my mind all too often. God is the one who gives us life. My life is something God provided. My life is not my own, it is God's and when I die, my spirit returns to him for his disposition. Here lay the most important of all implications...

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Jesus Christ, our great joy!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 11:7,

 

"Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun."

 

This simple observation of Solomon brings to my mind one of the most moving and dramatic passages of all Scripture for me, Isaiah 9:2, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." This, of course, is a reference to the coming child we read of a few verses later, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

 

That Christmas night, two millenia ago, ushered God's Son into a planet lost in darkness. The world, populated with people who live in darkness and walk around in the darkness, stumbling and not knowing where he they are going, because the darkness has blinded them (1 John 2:10-11) was pierced with the blinding light of God's one and only Son.

 

On that night the brilliant light of God's glory blazed upon shepherds out in the field. An angel spoke these words to the terrified shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11. "Great joy"!

 

"Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes", but this light brings "great joy"! Not simply happiness or that which is pleasing, but great joy! A joy that wells up into an inexpressible and glorious joy! 1 Peter 1:8.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: What do we know of the future?

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 10:14,

 

"No one knows what is coming— who can tell him what will happen after him?"

 

There is just a lot we don't know. We don't know what tomorrow may bring. Next week, next month or next year either. The future is hidden from us and we just cannot see into it. How will our children do after we leave this life? Our grandchildren? What will happen to the estates we may have built, the collections of things we have given ourselves to, our valuables and bank accounts? We can specify what we want done with them in a last will and testament, but what will our heirs do with them?

 

What will happen to our way of life? Our country? The freedoms and opportunities previous generations have so selflessly sacrificed to provide us? This is a question that seems to be garnering more attention today than ever given the political realities we live in today. We just do not know what is coming. Here is something that can bring a degree of anxiety and concern and points to another aspect of uncertainty or even futility in this life "under the sun".

 

But, is this all there is to the matter? Do we not know anything about tomorrow? If we enlarge our perspective from only that which is under the sun to include the things of God, the hope we have in our inheritance stored up for us in heaven and the Scriptures the Lord has provided us, yes, there are plenty of things we can know about tomorrow, we can know about many things that will happen after we are gone.

 

God's loving embrace will be in place. His love for mankind and his desire that we turn to him in faith will be in place after we are gone. God's mercy and forgiving kindness will be here after we are gone. His good intentions for those who embrace him in faith will be here after we are gone. God' promise to us of our inheritance in the resurrection will stand, long after we are gone from this life. On the flip side, God's assurance of judgment for all sin looms in the future as a certainty. We know of the return of Jesus Christ to earth and the resurrection he will bring about in God's timing. There is plenty we know of that is coming, even after we leave this life.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Knowing God is the answer for everything.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 10:19,

 

"A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything."

 

In the midst of a series of proverbs, Solomon makes this observation which seems to me to be thematic with the message of Ecclesiastes. He observes the diversions we engage in to bring us enjoyment in life. For laughter a feast is made, for merriment in life we look to wine. He concludes this proverb noting that while people look to one thing or another to bring about what they want, "money is the answer for everything."

 

It sure seems like nothing has changed in three thousand years. We pursue diversions for ourselves and we think we know what is needed to bring what our hearts desire. Often we look in all the wrong places and we settle for far less than what will satisfy the deepest yearnings of our hearts. While there is nothing wrong with laughter and merriment (I am in great support of them), the feast comes to an end and the bottle runs empty. These are only temporary diversions in life under the sun and often mask the genuine yearnings of our hearts. Additionally, "the answer for everything" turns out to be not the answer we thought it might be.

 

How many times have we heard stories of those who have encountered wealth report back to the rest of us that it really doesn't bring happiness? It is often thought that money will resolve whatever it is we look for in life, but this really isn't the case.

 

What is the case is that having an encounter with our Creator through his Son, Jesus Christ, is the answer to everything. Not only is laughter and merriment found here, more than just a shallow diversion, an encounter with God brings the deepest satisfaction and pleasure. Peter speaks of being filled with an "inexpressible and glorious joy". In speaking to the Lord, David says, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Knowing God brings assurance of what lays beyond the grave. Knowing God brings us rescue from his coming wrath for sins we have committed. Knowing God eliminates the anxieties of life because we are assured of his great love for us and his wonderful intentions for us. Knowing God is the perfect satisfaction of the gaping hole left in our hearts since our estrangement from him in the garden of Eden.

 

Knowing God is the answer for everything.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com