My friend Lisa frequently tells me how concerned she is when it comes to walking with God and doing His will. I tell her that as long as she seeks after God and does her best to listen to His voice and obey it, then she doesn't have to worry. God will take care of the rest. I was very pleased to see the Bible say the exact same thing in today's devotional. “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you,” says 2 Chronicles 15:2.
This is not necessarily an easy thing. We can want something so badly that we confuse our will with God's will. I am by no means perfect in this area, but whenever I sense that this is a possibility, I check my will against the Bible and against God through prayer. If it lines up with what they say, then I proceed. The Bible says that God is unchanging, which means His side stays the same. The only time God leaves our side is when we leave His. We are to blame if God is not backing us up. But if we seek to make His will our own, then He will always be with us.
Ecclesiastes 4-6 was more of the same from yesterday. However, Solomon's tone has become slightly more upbeat. He talks about how working for wealth alone is meaningless, for without someone to share it, it is no good; he then points out that friendship is a very good thing, as all those involved in a friendship are made stronger by it.
Ecclesiastes 5 warns us to always have respect and reverence for God, then goes on to talk about the worthlessness of riches. While working for our wages is a good thing and a gift from God, the actual possession of wealth has no value. "Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand." (Eccl. 5:15) So it says that the good we get from work is not the income, but something more. I think this is evidenced by lottery winners: I've heard that those who win are soon broke afterward and more miserable than before. So the Bible says that work is good for us. That sounds a bit counterintuitive, but if it says it, then I've got to believe it. And it's been true for me in the past.
1 comment:
Ever since reading Keller's chapter on the nature of hell, i've been working on the way i pray. Keller says what this entry enforces, that heaven is simply perfect unity with God's will, just as hell is perfect unity with selfish will. I, too, was encouraged to find my prayers in sync with today's message.
As far as wealth goes, i liked what Mr. Sauder said one time: wealth can buy travel, but it can't buy happiness. It's great to be affluent because we can visit many people and places. But pretty much all else that we do with money is for the most part wasting.
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