"...there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives." (Eccl. 3:12)
“Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor -this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness... I say that a stillborn child is better than he.” (Eccl. 5:18-6:3
In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus tells a parable to the crowd, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 'So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.'”
Solomon says in Eccl. 2:10-11,
"Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”
Often, what we think will bring us joy is pleasure, performance, power, possessions, and prestige. We look to satisfy our souls for the moment in the things that God provides for us. And, like Solomon, we grasp and toil, trying to get our life from those things the world provides, only to find that they are empty and vain.
John Maxwell writes about the book of Ecclesiastes, “Leaders cannot find genuine fulfillment outside of linking their lives to God's purposes for the world. As 'the Preacher' explores various avenues for satisfaction- power, possessions, prestige, pleasure, -he finds them hollow. God moves him along the path of discovery until he finds no real meaning to life 'under heaven,' but only in relationship to God and His eternal purposes. God provides all meaning and fulfillment in this life. The author could not find anything of value apart from a life lived in obedience to God's calling.'” [1]
We find life greatly disappointing when we seek to fill ourselves with what the world can provide us. Solomon wrote, “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Eccl. 2:17)
As we find that seeking our joy from the world to satisfy our souls is empty and vain, we sometimes then can see the thing that we sought to get life from as the problem rather than dealing with the issues in our heart, and resolve to live without it. We shut pleasure, performance, power, possessions, and/or prestige out of our lives and determine to live without them.
We may resolve to live in poverty, live without pleasures, live without a position of power or prestige, and/or live without any significant accomplishments. We close our hearts and our lives to those things that have hindered us and renounce them as an evil influence.
For instance, someone who has been drinking too much may resolve to 'go on the wagon' and not drink at all. While this is not a bad thing, if one does not deal with the deeper issues that are causing them to drink too much, redirecting their hearts to God to be filled, but rather just determine that all drinking is bad, they will look for some other source to fill them.
Solomon notes that to enjoy the rewards of ones toil and labors is a gift from God. We can enjoy and receive all that God has for us -including pleasure, accomplishments, positions, possessions, and recognition with gratitude when our hearts are focused on the giver and not trying to be filled by the gift.
Solomon writes in Eccl. 5:18, “Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.”
One commentary notes about this verse, “In contrast to the greedy person and the disappointing life which is his portion, the Preacher recommends the adoption of a perspective that will allow one to enjoy the simple things of this life. The key words in this section of the message are God and gift. Man must view all of the good that passes to him as the gift of God. Wealth and possessions are of no ultimate significance; they neither disclose nor help man to attain a divinely appointed destiny. God does not give them for that..., but for the sweetening of life day by day... These are man’s portion in life and should be celebrated as gifts, rather than allowed to promote a spirit of avarice. [2]
What we need to put to death in our heart is our grasping to get life from the gifts of God (the spirit of avarice, for example) rather than the gifts (such as wealth) themselves. Paul says in Romans 8:13, "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Incorporating disciplines such as feasts, mourning, and solitude help us to redirect our hearts to God to be filled with His Spirit, freeing us from grasping to get our life from the world..
Feasts.
God established feasts for people to celebrate Him. However, feasts were not just excuses to eat and drink too much – they had an established purpose. Feasts were times specifically set aside to honor and celebrate God. They are holy convocations, assembling the people of Israel for worship of the Lord. And they were times of great thankfulness.
Feasts were times of community worship and thinking of others rather than times of self absorption. Jesus said in Luke 14:13-14, “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
One bible dictionary notes, “The poor, the widow, the orphan, the Levite, and the sojourner or foreigner were invited to most of the feasts.” This dictionary goes on to note, “All of the feasts were marked by thanksgiving and joyous feasting. Meat, a scarce item in the daily fare of the people, was eaten at these affairs, and wine was also consumed. The fat and the blood of the animals were reserved for sacrifice to God." [3]
Times of feasting were holy onto the Lord. Feasts can be just as much a discipline in growing deeper in Christ as abstaining can be. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1,4, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”
Mourning and Abstaining.
Abstaining from something that is meant to be a gift from God for a period of time if it is causing us to stumble, can help us to refocus our hearts on God and give us freedom when we are seeking to get our life from it. Jesus says in Matthew 5:29, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
While gouging one's eye out does seem drastic, the sense of this scripture is that we are to take seriously those things that cause us to sin. We are not to ignore them and learn how to live with them, rather we are to use whatever means is available to us to put them to death.
Eccl. 7:4 says, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”
Mourning speaks of putting to death those things that cause us to stumble and sin. James 4:8b-9 says, "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom."
However, the house of mourning also speaks of getting one's priorities in order. When someone is mourning, they realize how short life is and re-prioritize based upon those things that are truly important.
“May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.”
One commentary notes, “Sorrow or grief is better than laughter, for sorrow leads to reflection about the serious nature of life and its ultimate meaning. We also learn lessons from sorrow that we can learn in no other way. Sorrow accepted in the right way draws us closer to the Lord and closer to other people. Grief can help us get priorities in order (Is. 53, Grief).” [4]
The lesson we learn in the house of mourning is what really has value and importance. We learn those things that are worth investing ourselves in and those things that simply pass time.
Some time ago, I was told that I needed to have a biopsy and that I should have been in a year prior to have it done. I had misunderstood the certified letter that was sent to me and had disregarded it. Needless to say, my doctor was not happy with me.
Anyways, God gave me a word of assurance that the price He paid was sufficient to pay all my debt and all turned out to be fine. However, the time waiting for the biopsy results made me realize what a gift our time is on the earth. It also helped me to better prioritize my life. What I realized during the time was that things like momentary recognition, notches of success on the worlds terms, people pleasing, and what I obtained for myself meant very little in the big picture.
What really mattered most is what I invested of myself in others and the ways my life touched other's lives. I realized those things that God put in my heart to accomplish really mattered and were worthwhile.
“I want to make much of You Jesus.... I give you my life, take it and let it be used to make much of You” sings
What really matters is how we spend our time loving God and loving others. Everything else is vanity and grasping for the wind. Solomon says in Eccl. 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.” And to love others fulfills His commandments (Romans 13:8).
Solitude and Silence.
Sometimes stepping away from the world for a short time can help us gain clarity and perspective on what is important. The discipline of solitude and silence can refresh us, refill us and also help us re-prioritize so that when we step back into the world, we have God's perspective. Thomas Kempis writes, “Anyone, then, who aims to live the inner and spiritual life must go apart, with Jesus, from the crowd.” [5]
Thomas Kempis suggests, “If you withdraw yourself from unnecessary talking and idle running about, from listening to gossip and rumors, you will find enough time that is suitable for holy meditation.” He also recommends that in our time of solitude and meditation, we read "such matters as bring sorrow to the heart rather than occupation to the mind." [6]
He goes on to note, “If only a man would never seek passing joys or entangle himself with worldly affairs, what a good conscience he would have... Sensual craving sometimes entices you to wander around, but when the moment is past, what do you bring back with you save a disturbed conscience and heavy heart? A happy going often leads to a sad return, a merry evening to a mournful dawn. Thus, all carnal joy begins sweetly but in the end brings remorse and death...
Raise your eyes to God in heaven and pray because of your sins and shortcomings. Leave vanity to the vain. Set yourself to the things which God has commanded you to do. Close the door upon yourself and call to you Jesus, your Beloved. Remain with him in your cell [place of solitude], for nowhere else will you find such peace.” [7]
Whatever spiritual disciplines we practice, the purpose is to free us from the pulls of the world and refocus our eyes on our Beloved so that when we do go about our activities in the world, it is with clarity and perspective. Jesus celebrated feasts, practiced abstaining from God's gifts, and He had times of coming away from the world in solitude to pray and listen to His Father. In all these things, He drew Himself near to God. James 4:7-8a says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."
As we have our eyes on our Beloved and our hearts set towards eternity, we find that we do not “dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.” Disciplines help us clear space out from all the worldly clutter so we can occupy our hearts and minds with that which can truly bring us joy - Jesus.
In Eccl. 3:11-13, Solomon says, “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. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”
One Commentary notes about this verse, “Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God's works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but little time to be doing good, therefore we should redeem time.” [8]
Jesus says in John 15:9-12a, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I love told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy be complete. This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you."
"Someday I'm gonna see the King,.. Yes, come Lord Jesus come" sings in the background.
As our hearts are filled with eternity, we can joyously love others wherever he puts us, free from the pulls of the world. We can invite others -the poor, the maimed, the lame the blind and all that are compelled to come to the greatest feast of all times (Luke 14:21-23). "The day of the joy of his heart" (Song 4:11b)
While God does not call most people to quit their jobs to serve Him, I thought the attached youtube video that was on a friend's Facebook site this last week was a wonderful example of someone letting go of the cares of the world, getting clarity of purpose and joyously inviting others to the feast. Located at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_3BEwpv0dM
Lord, too often I seem to move between abstinence and indulgence. I think I miss the whole point of a feast – not to indulge myself on food and drink, but to celebrate You by loving others, giving my life away, and being a blessing in thanksgiving for You. While feasts may involve enjoying those things that have been given as gifts, the focus is honoring and celebrating You. Forgive me, give me better perspective and help me to incorporate more true feasts into my life. May the way I love others invite them in.
"At the top of my lungs I sing Hallelujah... I'll praise Your name, I'll let the whole world know I love You Lord."
Lord, prepare us for the feast of a lifetime that is to come. May we be about your kingdom work and not overly tied up with the cares of the world. Fill us with joy as we serve You. And may the way we love others give them an invitation to the celebration.
"How I love You, You are the One for me!!!"
1. Maxwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition. NKJV. Lessons in Leadership from the Word of God. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, Tennessee. 2007.
2. KJV Bible commentary. 1997, c1994 (1269). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995).
3. Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.
4. Thomas Nelson, I. (1997, c1995). Woman's study Bible. (Ec 7:3). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
5-7. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.
8. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible. Located at: http://mhc.biblecommenter.com/ecclesiastes/3.htm Last Accessed: 12/14/10
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness... I say that a stillborn child is better than he.” (Eccl. 5:18-6:3
In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus tells a parable to the crowd, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 'So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.'”
Solomon says in Eccl. 2:10-11,
"Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”
Often, what we think will bring us joy is pleasure, performance, power, possessions, and prestige. We look to satisfy our souls for the moment in the things that God provides for us. And, like Solomon, we grasp and toil, trying to get our life from those things the world provides, only to find that they are empty and vain.
John Maxwell writes about the book of Ecclesiastes, “Leaders cannot find genuine fulfillment outside of linking their lives to God's purposes for the world. As 'the Preacher' explores various avenues for satisfaction- power, possessions, prestige, pleasure, -he finds them hollow. God moves him along the path of discovery until he finds no real meaning to life 'under heaven,' but only in relationship to God and His eternal purposes. God provides all meaning and fulfillment in this life. The author could not find anything of value apart from a life lived in obedience to God's calling.'” [1]
We find life greatly disappointing when we seek to fill ourselves with what the world can provide us. Solomon wrote, “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Eccl. 2:17)
As we find that seeking our joy from the world to satisfy our souls is empty and vain, we sometimes then can see the thing that we sought to get life from as the problem rather than dealing with the issues in our heart, and resolve to live without it. We shut pleasure, performance, power, possessions, and/or prestige out of our lives and determine to live without them.
We may resolve to live in poverty, live without pleasures, live without a position of power or prestige, and/or live without any significant accomplishments. We close our hearts and our lives to those things that have hindered us and renounce them as an evil influence.
For instance, someone who has been drinking too much may resolve to 'go on the wagon' and not drink at all. While this is not a bad thing, if one does not deal with the deeper issues that are causing them to drink too much, redirecting their hearts to God to be filled, but rather just determine that all drinking is bad, they will look for some other source to fill them.
Solomon notes that to enjoy the rewards of ones toil and labors is a gift from God. We can enjoy and receive all that God has for us -including pleasure, accomplishments, positions, possessions, and recognition with gratitude when our hearts are focused on the giver and not trying to be filled by the gift.
Solomon writes in Eccl. 5:18, “Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.”
One commentary notes about this verse, “In contrast to the greedy person and the disappointing life which is his portion, the Preacher recommends the adoption of a perspective that will allow one to enjoy the simple things of this life. The key words in this section of the message are God and gift. Man must view all of the good that passes to him as the gift of God. Wealth and possessions are of no ultimate significance; they neither disclose nor help man to attain a divinely appointed destiny. God does not give them for that..., but for the sweetening of life day by day... These are man’s portion in life and should be celebrated as gifts, rather than allowed to promote a spirit of avarice. [2]
What we need to put to death in our heart is our grasping to get life from the gifts of God (the spirit of avarice, for example) rather than the gifts (such as wealth) themselves. Paul says in Romans 8:13, "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Incorporating disciplines such as feasts, mourning, and solitude help us to redirect our hearts to God to be filled with His Spirit, freeing us from grasping to get our life from the world..
Feasts.
God established feasts for people to celebrate Him. However, feasts were not just excuses to eat and drink too much – they had an established purpose. Feasts were times specifically set aside to honor and celebrate God. They are holy convocations, assembling the people of Israel for worship of the Lord. And they were times of great thankfulness.
Feasts were times of community worship and thinking of others rather than times of self absorption. Jesus said in Luke 14:13-14, “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
One bible dictionary notes, “The poor, the widow, the orphan, the Levite, and the sojourner or foreigner were invited to most of the feasts.” This dictionary goes on to note, “All of the feasts were marked by thanksgiving and joyous feasting. Meat, a scarce item in the daily fare of the people, was eaten at these affairs, and wine was also consumed. The fat and the blood of the animals were reserved for sacrifice to God." [3]
Times of feasting were holy onto the Lord. Feasts can be just as much a discipline in growing deeper in Christ as abstaining can be. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1,4, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”
Mourning and Abstaining.
Abstaining from something that is meant to be a gift from God for a period of time if it is causing us to stumble, can help us to refocus our hearts on God and give us freedom when we are seeking to get our life from it. Jesus says in Matthew 5:29, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
While gouging one's eye out does seem drastic, the sense of this scripture is that we are to take seriously those things that cause us to sin. We are not to ignore them and learn how to live with them, rather we are to use whatever means is available to us to put them to death.
Eccl. 7:4 says, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”
Mourning speaks of putting to death those things that cause us to stumble and sin. James 4:8b-9 says, "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom."
However, the house of mourning also speaks of getting one's priorities in order. When someone is mourning, they realize how short life is and re-prioritize based upon those things that are truly important.
“May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.”
One commentary notes, “Sorrow or grief is better than laughter, for sorrow leads to reflection about the serious nature of life and its ultimate meaning. We also learn lessons from sorrow that we can learn in no other way. Sorrow accepted in the right way draws us closer to the Lord and closer to other people. Grief can help us get priorities in order (Is. 53, Grief).” [4]
The lesson we learn in the house of mourning is what really has value and importance. We learn those things that are worth investing ourselves in and those things that simply pass time.
Some time ago, I was told that I needed to have a biopsy and that I should have been in a year prior to have it done. I had misunderstood the certified letter that was sent to me and had disregarded it. Needless to say, my doctor was not happy with me.
Anyways, God gave me a word of assurance that the price He paid was sufficient to pay all my debt and all turned out to be fine. However, the time waiting for the biopsy results made me realize what a gift our time is on the earth. It also helped me to better prioritize my life. What I realized during the time was that things like momentary recognition, notches of success on the worlds terms, people pleasing, and what I obtained for myself meant very little in the big picture.
What really mattered most is what I invested of myself in others and the ways my life touched other's lives. I realized those things that God put in my heart to accomplish really mattered and were worthwhile.
“I want to make much of You Jesus.... I give you my life, take it and let it be used to make much of You” sings
What really matters is how we spend our time loving God and loving others. Everything else is vanity and grasping for the wind. Solomon says in Eccl. 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.” And to love others fulfills His commandments (Romans 13:8).
Solitude and Silence.
Sometimes stepping away from the world for a short time can help us gain clarity and perspective on what is important. The discipline of solitude and silence can refresh us, refill us and also help us re-prioritize so that when we step back into the world, we have God's perspective. Thomas Kempis writes, “Anyone, then, who aims to live the inner and spiritual life must go apart, with Jesus, from the crowd.” [5]
Thomas Kempis suggests, “If you withdraw yourself from unnecessary talking and idle running about, from listening to gossip and rumors, you will find enough time that is suitable for holy meditation.” He also recommends that in our time of solitude and meditation, we read "such matters as bring sorrow to the heart rather than occupation to the mind." [6]
He goes on to note, “If only a man would never seek passing joys or entangle himself with worldly affairs, what a good conscience he would have... Sensual craving sometimes entices you to wander around, but when the moment is past, what do you bring back with you save a disturbed conscience and heavy heart? A happy going often leads to a sad return, a merry evening to a mournful dawn. Thus, all carnal joy begins sweetly but in the end brings remorse and death...
Raise your eyes to God in heaven and pray because of your sins and shortcomings. Leave vanity to the vain. Set yourself to the things which God has commanded you to do. Close the door upon yourself and call to you Jesus, your Beloved. Remain with him in your cell [place of solitude], for nowhere else will you find such peace.” [7]
Whatever spiritual disciplines we practice, the purpose is to free us from the pulls of the world and refocus our eyes on our Beloved so that when we do go about our activities in the world, it is with clarity and perspective. Jesus celebrated feasts, practiced abstaining from God's gifts, and He had times of coming away from the world in solitude to pray and listen to His Father. In all these things, He drew Himself near to God. James 4:7-8a says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."
As we have our eyes on our Beloved and our hearts set towards eternity, we find that we do not “dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.” Disciplines help us clear space out from all the worldly clutter so we can occupy our hearts and minds with that which can truly bring us joy - Jesus.
In Eccl. 3:11-13, Solomon says, “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. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”
One Commentary notes about this verse, “Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God's works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but little time to be doing good, therefore we should redeem time.” [8]
Jesus says in John 15:9-12a, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I love told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy be complete. This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you."
"Someday I'm gonna see the King,.. Yes, come Lord Jesus come" sings in the background.
As our hearts are filled with eternity, we can joyously love others wherever he puts us, free from the pulls of the world. We can invite others -the poor, the maimed, the lame the blind and all that are compelled to come to the greatest feast of all times (Luke 14:21-23). "The day of the joy of his heart" (Song 4:11b)
While God does not call most people to quit their jobs to serve Him, I thought the attached youtube video that was on a friend's Facebook site this last week was a wonderful example of someone letting go of the cares of the world, getting clarity of purpose and joyously inviting others to the feast. Located at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_3BEwpv0dM
Lord, too often I seem to move between abstinence and indulgence. I think I miss the whole point of a feast – not to indulge myself on food and drink, but to celebrate You by loving others, giving my life away, and being a blessing in thanksgiving for You. While feasts may involve enjoying those things that have been given as gifts, the focus is honoring and celebrating You. Forgive me, give me better perspective and help me to incorporate more true feasts into my life. May the way I love others invite them in.
"At the top of my lungs I sing Hallelujah... I'll praise Your name, I'll let the whole world know I love You Lord."
Lord, prepare us for the feast of a lifetime that is to come. May we be about your kingdom work and not overly tied up with the cares of the world. Fill us with joy as we serve You. And may the way we love others give them an invitation to the celebration.
"How I love You, You are the One for me!!!"
1. Maxwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition. NKJV. Lessons in Leadership from the Word of God. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, Tennessee. 2007.
2. KJV Bible commentary. 1997, c1994 (1269). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995).
3. Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.
4. Thomas Nelson, I. (1997, c1995). Woman's study Bible. (Ec 7:3). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
5-7. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.
8. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible. Located at: http://mhc.biblecommenter.com/ecclesiastes/3.htm Last Accessed: 12/14/10
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