Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+011

 

Ecclesiastes 11 (ESV)

⁹ Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

¹⁰ Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

 

REFLECTION:

These two short verses teach us a very important truth: what we do when we are young has a profound impact on our lives. If you are young, you must be especially cautious not to make mistakes that endanger your life. This is as Solomon taught in Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” What you do when you are young will definitely affect your future. You can enjoy your life, but don’t do things that will harm your body, morals, and spirituality and prevent you from enjoying your old age. For brothers and sisters who are no longer young, we do not need to be annoyed though past mistakes cannot be reversed. At any time, we can seek forgiveness from God through repentance, because God is a God of mercy and He will not despise a broken and contrite heart. We should forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, press on toward the goal, and thence live a holy life that walks with God.

 

PRAYER:

Pray to God for the young people in your home and church, and for yourself, to protect the hearts of young people from being tempted by the vanity, pleasure, and prosperity of the world. Pray that God will remove our desires of the flesh and our desires of the eyes and pride of life, that we may share His holiness, and will confidently give an account of ourselves to God on the judgement day.

 

HYMN:

Lord Prepare Me To Be A Sanctuary – https://youtu.be/LVKHqq6uoMM

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+010

 

Ecclesiastes 10 (ESV)

1 Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
² A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right,
but a fool’s heart to the left.
³ Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
⁴ If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place,
for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.

 

REFLECTION:

Here the dead flies represent ignorance, and the ointment symbolizes wisdom and honor. The literal translation from biblical manuscripts is: “A little folly outweighs wisdom and honour.” This is not to belittle wisdom and honour, but to emphasize that the destructive power of a little folly could outweigh the positive effects of wisdom and honor. When a fool appears among a group of wise people, this little folly can be enough to corrupt the entire group. In Verse 2 Solomon is still talking about the comparison of wisdom and ignorance, which has nothing to do with the position of the human heart. In Israeli tradition, the right side is regarded as the place of honor and the most protected place, and the left side is relatively secondary compared to the right side. Solomon means to say that wise people put their thoughts and minds on the most important things in life, while fools put the cart before the horse and only value the things of secondary importance. Do you understand what the most important thing in your life is? May you put your mind and thought on God’s way of life, meditate on God’s words all day long, follow God’s way, and become a wise and blessed person.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to enlighten you so that you can discern what is important, what is secondary, and what is even harmful and useless in the things you are doing now. Ask God to give you the courage to repent and completely abandon the worldly values, and live a life of heavenly wisdom based on God’s words.

 

HYMN:

Better Is One Day – youtu.be/ndVRcqziKWA

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+009

 

Ecclesiastes 9 (ESV)

⁷ Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

⁸ Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

⁹ Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

 

REFLECTION:

Is Solomon in these verses encouraging carpe diem? No, Solomon realized that everyone would die, and that everything in the future would be in the hands of God, so he advised us not to worry about tomorrow, and to enjoy the life and rich provision of God. He may be criticizing those who are deliberately accumulating money and are not willing to enjoy the joy of life. Just like people nowadays who are caught in fierce competition, and live in anxiety and worries. Solomon told us that God created us to experience the joy of life in God’s presence. Because our future is completely in God’s hands, we should enjoy all the gifts given by God and seek the God of giving. When Solomon said that there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (v.10), he is not preaching a kind of atheism in which people die the way a lamp goes out. He is comparing the situation in this life and the situation after death but before resurrection. He advises us to take a good grasp of this life and experience the joy of being with God through hard work. When we pass away, we will not have the opportunity to change anything we did when we were alive. Old Testament believers had a very vague concept about resurrection. This concept was fully revealed only after Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to remove your worries about tomorrow so that you can enjoy all the abundance that God has given today, including material and spiritual abundance. Pray for God to strengthen your faith and make you understand that your future is under His protection. God has even counted your hair, and not one hair will fall to the ground without His permission.

 

HYMN:

Because He Lives (Amen) – youtu.be/PBvU7arNhQs

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+008

 

Ecclesiastes 8 (ESV)

⁵ Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. ⁶ For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. ⁷ For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? ⁸ No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. ⁹ All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.

 

REFLECTION:

These verses clarify the “proper time” and “just way” of life, and they have far-reaching inspiration for us. Everyone has 24 hours a day, but Solomon tells us that life is not only faced with the “time” that goes by every day, there is also “proper time” in life. Time is different from proper time. Proper time is the opportunity we grasp in the physical time we spend. Jesus often said in the world: “My time has not yet come…” (John 7:6), indicating that everything, including the accomplishment of God’s plan of salvation, has a timing. People have expectations, but God also has His plans and actions. We should have heavenly wisdom to obey God’s plan. Only in this way can we be blessed by God. This is the “just way” of our life. This is actually a tug-of-war between our personal will and God’s sovereignty. Unless we can understand the difference between time and proper time, and aim at the time when God manifests His glory, we are probably just passively tolerating and falsely expecting God to match our pace with emotions of dissatisfaction, doubt, and puzzlement. We should understand that God’s thoughts are higher than ours, and that His will is always the best and perfect. If God wants you to wait for a long time with a pure heart on something that is very important to you, do you have the faith to obey Him?

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you more spiritual wisdom and firmer faith, so that you can gradually become a person who is willing and able to wait with a pure heart; pray for God to enlighten you so that you can see that He has made everything beautiful in its time. God will surely have a beautiful arrangement for your life, far more abundantly than all that you ask or think.

 

HYMN:

With All I Am – youtu.be/iTkiCBT0yQs

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+007

 

Ecclesiastes 7 (ESV)

²⁰ Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

²¹ Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. ²² Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others…

²⁷ Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— ²⁸ which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. ²⁹ See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

 

REFLECTION:

Even Solomon, the wisest man in the world, admits that it is extremely difficult to be truly wise in action and thoughts. He emphasized that no matter how much we know, there are always many mysteries that cannot be understood. Moreover, he has already come to the same conclusion as Paul: None is righteous, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3: 10, 23). Does Solomon think in verse 27 that a woman cannot be an upright (wise and good) person? No, because he compared wisdom to a responsible woman in Proverbs. His point is to say that almost no man or woman is upright before God, not that women are more dishonest than men. During his search and investigation, he found that goodness and wisdom are difficult to find among men and women. Even in his cultural background, men have the opportunity to receive education and women do not, but the result is the same. So Solomon meant to say: I hope to find one person who is upright in the eyes of God among a thousand people. However, I can actually find even less than this! God created humans for them to live upright lives and act justly. Instead, they turned away from God and turned to their own way, and finally went to destruction.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to enlighten you and increase your strength, so that you can do your best to be upright and righteous in all aspects of life, and not deviate from the path God has commanded. At the same time, pray for God to give you a humble heart so that you can see your own filth and weaknesses, understand that no one in the world can be justified before God by deeds. Ask God to forgive your transgressions so that the power of Christ may rest upon you.

 

HYMN:

Purify My Heart – https://youtu.be/7qCdr5FEXic

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+006

 

Ecclesiastes 6 (ESV)

⁷ All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. ⁸ For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? ⁹ Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. ¹¹ The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? ¹² For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

 

REFLECTION:

God knows and manages everything that happens in the world. Although it may not seem like this sometimes, God is indeed in full control of our lives. Since the God who created us fully understands us and has a wonderful plan to be accomplished in our lives, wouldn’t it be a lack of true wisdom if we still argue with Him about our cleverness and stupidity, strength and weakness, wealth and poverty, and superficial gains and losses? In these verses, Solomon tells us a meaningful truth: we can neither predict nor control our future, our future is completely under the control of God. Solomon said this to refute the common notion that people want to control their own destiny. Only God knows what will happen to us in the future. We should have the faith to rely on God in everything and understand that God has a good, acceptable and perfect will for our lives.

 

PRAYER:

Put down all the fear, worry and burden in your heart completely. Ask God to remove your idea of controlling your own destiny, and give you greater faith that you can completely rely on God in everything. Let God have full control of your life and lead your future path.

 

HYMN:

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow – https://youtu.be/JPSsSlmZt2w

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+005

 

Ecclesiastes 5 (ESV)

¹⁸ Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. ¹⁹ Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

 

REFLECTION:

These verses teach us that God wants us to look at our wealth from a correct perspective. Our wealth is given by God. Regardless of your current financial situation, you should not rely on money to get happiness, but be satisfied with what you have now and live for God with what you have. Abundance by itself cannot be the source of our happiness. Abundance makes us joyful because every good and perfect gift is from God. We should focus on God who gives people, not on His gifts. When we know that if we have God then we will have everything we need, we can be happy and satisfied with what we have now. We will have a deep gratitude for everything God has given, no matter how much, and we will become a person who is rich in spirit.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God with a grateful heart, count God’s blessings, and thank Him for His abundant provision in all aspects of your life. No matter if you are rich or poor, ask God to give you more faith and wisdom to make you understand that it is God who gives and who takes away. In all these things, God has a good will for you, that you can receive true abundance and joy from Him.

 

HYMN:

Thank You Lord – https://youtu.be/DN3_tSDhDpY

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+004

 

Ecclesiastes 4 (ESV)

⁷ Again, I saw vanity under the sun: ⁸ one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

 

REFLECTION:

Some people are lazy, while others are workaholics. Laziness is certainly not pleasing to God, but workaholic is often driven by jealousy and greed, hoping to outstand, and it is not pleasing to God either. Solomon taught us that the correct attitude to work should be diligent but restrained. At the same time, we should also use time to enjoy God’s blessings, and recognize that it is God who gives work and blessings, not ourselves. Solomon also pointed out that there are many benefits to working with others. The life that God arranges is to live in company, not to be isolated from others; to establish an intimate relationship with others, not to live alone. Some people are so proud and stubborn that they would rather work alone than trust anyone. However, we live in this world, not to serve ourselves, but to serve God and others. Don’t isolate yourself and do everything alone. It is best to seek cooperation and teamwork. Are you very busy right now? Are you walking alone now? Please stop and think about Solomon’s teachings in this chapter, and examine the motive of your busyness, and correct your direction and pace in life in time.

 

PRAYER:

Regardless of whether your current state is too lazy or too busy, ask God to give you a balanced and healthy work and life. Ask God to examine your inner motives, so that you can see whether everything you do is to glorify God or to glorify yourself. Ask God to give you a humble and gentle heart, so that you can actively participate in church ministries, and work with brothers and sisters to build the house of God and extend His Kingdom.

 

HYMN:

Be Thou My Vision – https://youtu.be/Optrm7lF16s

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+003

 

Ecclesiastes 3 (ESV)

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

² a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; …

⁹ What gain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

¹⁴ I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. ¹⁵ That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

 

REFLECTION:

Solomon’s point in this chapter is to say that God has a plan for everyone. God has arranged different stages for our lives, and each stage has something we should do. Although we will encounter many difficulties that seem to conflict with God’s plan, these difficulties should not become an obstacle to our faith, but should be an opportunity for us to rely on God. Without God, there will not be a satisfactory solution to the problems in life! The secret of reconciliation with God lies in having wisdom to discern, accept, and appreciate the time God has set. Suspicion or resentment of the time set by God is dangerous. This can make people disappointed, rebellious, and even disregarding God’s will and acting on their own. God has “put eternity into man’s heart” (v.11) means: we can never be completely satisfied with the pleasures and pursuits of the world. Since we were created in the image of God, we have spiritual hunger and thirst, and only the living God can truly satisfy us. God places the desire for eternity in our hearts and allows us to see the beauty of His creation, but we cannot see into the future or fully understand God’s plan. Therefore, we must fear God, be joyful and beneficent in the world, and be blessed by God as you walk the journey of life with Him.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God quietly, ask God to give you confidence, patience, and wisdom, and understand that God has made everything beautiful in its time according to His will. Ask God to lead you, no matter if your current situation is good or bad, that you will fear God, and not deviate from the path God destined for your life.

 

HYMN:

In His Time – https://youtu.be/aJeNUlNY7Iw

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+002

 

Ecclesiastes 2 (ESV)

⁴ I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. ⁵ I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. ⁸ I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

⁹ So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. ¹⁰ And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. ¹¹ Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

 

REFLECTION:

Solomon used his life as an experiment to explore the meaning of life. He first tried to pursue pleasure: he did major projects, bought servants, cattle and sheep, gathered wealth, gathered singers, added many concubines in the harem, and became the most prominent king of Jerusalem. But none of this satisfies him, so he said, “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” (v.11). The pleasure he pursued may bring him short-term satisfaction, but if it was the purpose of life, all these pursuits were in vain. Solomon exhausted all his methods to find the meaning of life, but the result was “a striving after wind.” When the wind blows, we can feel it, but we cannot hold it firmly in our hands. All our achievements, even great achievements, are similar. Only in the love of God, not in human achievement, can we find true peace and self-worth. Please reflect in your life what do you think is valuable and make you spend your time, energy and money on it? One day when you look back on the past, do you realize that these are also “a striving after wind”? Is your goal in life to pursue the meaning of life in your own way, or to pursue God who gives true meaning to life?

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to enlighten you so that you can clearly see that the things you are currently working on are like “a striving after wind” and are of no benefit to your life? Ask God to give you the confidence and courage to let go of the love in your heart, strive to seek God who gives you peace and eternal blessing, and live according to His will.

 

HYMN:

All I Once Held Dear – youtu.be/oxpPIa-BskY