by Charles Bertelsmeier
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Read Ecclesiastes 1:1–11
Although I can remember the names and a little about the lives of my grandparents, I would struggle to tell you the names of all my great-grandparents or anything about their lives.
Then I think about my grandchildren and realise they know virtually nothing about my parents and previous generations. I’m sure we could all agree with the sentiment expressed in today’s verse.
We will spend today and the next four days looking at the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Before you open your calendar app and set a reminder to resume reading LCA devotions next Saturday and skip these five days, let me encourage you to persevere. God has put every book of the Bible there for a reason and has a message for us. I pray that God has a message for you in what he gives me to write. You may also like to read the whole book before we proceed with these devotions.
The first verse of this book indicates that the author is King Solomon. God blessed King Solomon to be one of the wisest people in history. He is also believed to be the author of the biblical book Song of Songs and to have collected many proverbs.
In Ecclesiastes, the author conducts a series of scientific experiments to find the meaning of life. In reflecting on this, I think we are all doing the same, but probably not as scientifically as Solomon. As young children, we are absorbed in play. As teenagers, we are trying to discover who we are. As young adults, we seek acceptance through our friendship circles and employment. Then, we aim to perpetuate our identity through our children, moving on to get ourselves financially secure and finally retiring to contemplate what we have achieved with our lives. Maybe we will even write up our life stories to perpetuate our legacies.
Solomon tries a range of activities to find meaning and fulfilment but comes up empty each time. Most of these things are things we also do to try to discover meaning and purpose. Spoiler alert: The conclusion Solomon comes to is that we only find that meaning and purpose through our relationship with God and by surrendering our lives to the plans he has for us.
Most of us, me included, didn’t want to hear that when we were younger and tried looking elsewhere. I thank God he didn’t give up on me and gently led me to accept Solomon’s conclusion.
Heavenly Father, I accept that life without you is meaningless. Please help me to listen to your Spirit as we dive into the Book of Ecclesiastes and to find meaning and purpose in your plans for us. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in a retirement village in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together, they have four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom they love spending time with. Charles keeps busy caring for their pot plants and a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering at LifeWay Lutheran Church.
Tenacious trust
by Ruth Olsen
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Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me (Psalm 69:16).
Read Psalm 69:7–10,(11–15),16–18
David has been having a hard time and is in great distress. For whatever reason, he has been feeling the cost of discipleship in his daily life. People have turned against him, spreading false accusations. Even those closest to him dissociate themselves from him. And it hurt.
Yet the psalmist recognises that only the Lord can rescue and deliver him. He appeals to the goodness of the Lord’s love and great mercy to rescue and redeem him. ‘Lord, help!’
Times of trouble find us wherever we are. The trouble itself is not the issue. Rather, it’s what we do with it. Do we respond with faith, taking it to the Lord in prayer, or do we look to ourselves to solve the trouble and throw a pity party?
Let’s learn from the psalmist David and appeal to the Lord because of who he is and what he is like. Let us grow in becoming tenacious in our trusting him, no matter what is happening. In moments of need, the psalmists frequently ask God why he hides his face, or as here, they plead with him not to do so. For when he does hide his face, it’s like the sunshine has gone. But when his face shines on a person, blessing, encouragement and strength come.
The Aaronic (priestly) blessing (Numbers 6:22–27) places the Lord’s name and blessing on his people. When a loving parent gazes upon a beloved child, their face shines with delight. Can you imagine your Abba Father gazing at you like that? His face turned toward us reminds us that nothing can separate us from his love, despite the lies the enemy may feed us. Jesus confirms the Father’s gaze of loving acceptance. He has come to rescue and redeem us and anyone who trusts him.
Father, by your Spirit, draw us into a closer walk with you to recognise you at work in our lives each day. Open our eyes to Jesus. Thank you for being totally trustworthy! We bless you! Amen.
Ruth lives in Adelaide, South Australia, with her husband, Steen. Peritoneal dialysis at night is now their settled ‘new normal’. Ruth says, ‘It is in the challenges of life where we grow in recognising the Lord’s enabling and faithfulness. Like the psalmist, we grow in knowing the goodness of the Lord’s love and his great mercy. All praise be to him!’
Choices
by Ruth Olsen
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… he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (Titus 3:5a).
Read Titus 3:1–11
Recently, I have been reading from various sources about the history of the Lutheran Church in Australia. In the early years of settling in South Australia, people who had come from various parts of Germany, seeking freedom to live according to Lutheran teaching, established small communities with vegetable gardens and helped one another. They had a common goal. It is like Pastor August Kavel, as their leader, encouraged the living out of the first and second verses of our reading for today. Yes, difficulties and then splits came later – but that is always the challenge of life, isn’t it?
Today’s reading is another call to discipleship. Do you recognise and acknowledge your inclination to be selfish and self-centred? If we don’t, we are in trouble. But if we do, gratitude rises for the Lord’s mercy to us!
‘He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit …’ (Titus 3:5). Rebirth and renewal. What does that say to you? Is it a ‘once-off’ or ‘walking in it every day’ for you? Are you growing in trusting the Holy Spirit to lead, empower and enable you in the things of each day? To exercise patience, kindness, self-control and the other fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23)? Do you remember to ask for his help? In his mercy, he waits to help. Justified by Jesus’ grace, we are made heirs with him. It’s the ‘now, but not yet’ tension. In and through Jesus, we have received, and now we get to walk in what we have received. That changes our perspective.
What is unprofitable, and what is useful? We make these choices every day. Yet we are so easily distracted. As we mature, each of us is responsible for our choices. Are we doing what the Spirit says is good, or not?
Abba Father, by your Spirit, help us to grow in Jesus – to live in ways that honour him as he honoured you. Give us the courage to recognise anything in us that dishonours him. Change our hearts and renew our minds, day by day. Amen.
Ruth lives in Adelaide, South Australia, with her husband, Steen. Peritoneal dialysis at night is now their settled ‘new normal’. Ruth says, ‘It is in the challenges of life where we grow in recognising the Lord’s enabling and faithfulness. Like the psalmist, we grow in knowing the goodness of the Lord’s love and his great mercy. All praise be to him!’
Endure suffering
by Ruth Olsen
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
… keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the good news, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you (2 Timothy 4:5).
Read 2 Timothy 4:5–8
In the past few days, we have been thinking about the costs involved in being a disciple of Jesus – being willing to lay down your life, rather than clutching on to it, and surrendering to Jesus as central in your life. In this letter to Timothy, Paul says his time on earth for doing that is nearly finished.
Paul has experienced his share of suffering, enduring beatings, stoning and, amazingly, being enabled to continue on his journey in sharing the good news of Jesus, even in a prison cell.
Difficulties and troubles happen in life. That’s just how things are this side of heaven. But because we are in Christ, by focusing on him, we are enabled to endure beyond what we thought was possible, walking with Jesus by the power of his Spirit one day at a time, even one step at a time, one moment at a time.
Keeping a clear mind amid difficulties and hardships is not easy, but keeping our focus on Jesus and asking him to enable us to see the situation from his perspective can make a huge difference. It’s like the difference between seeing the cross as an instrument of torture or as the place of Jesus overcoming sin, death and the power of the devil – for us!
Paul knew he had done what the Lord had asked him to do. Have we? Do we? Being ‘poured out like a drink offering’ involved a deep commitment to walking by faith. Paul is now focused on that finishing line and receiving the crown of righteousness awaiting him. And he calls his mentee, Timothy, to do likewise.
Lord Jesus, help us walk in your Father’s plans and purposes, one day at a time. We desire to honour you in all that we are and do – for your name’s sake. Amen.
Ruth lives in Adelaide, South Australia, with her husband, Steen. Peritoneal dialysis at night is now their settled ‘new normal’. Ruth says, ‘It is in the challenges of life where we grow in recognising the Lord’s enabling and faithfulness. Like the psalmist, we grow in knowing the goodness of the Lord’s love and his great mercy. All praise be to him!’