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.
Renew us; give us life (outsiders welcome)
by Peter Bean
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved (Psalm 80:7).
Peter’s paraphrase of Psalm 80:7: Renew us, Enabler of Life; your Presence bless us; give us life.
Read Psalm 80:7–15
This verse occurs three times in Psalm 80: verses 3, 7 and 19. That gives it some importance! The New Living Translation translates this verse as: ‘Turn us again to yourself, O God … Make your face shine down upon us.’
God takes the initiative. Whether we are close to God or far away! Whether we are born into a Christian family or come from a different situation! God takes the initiative!
The psalm talks about the various things that God has done for his people. But it also acknowledges that they have slipped away; they have forgotten the provision of life and all its benefits. So the prayer begins with: ‘Turn us again to yourself, or renew us; give us life.’
The writer recognises that only God can revitalise us; only God can turn us back; only God can give us life. And how does God do that? By becoming like us!
Ironic, isn’t it? We were made like God (Genesis 1:26,27). But to renew us, God becomes like us: The Word became human and made his home among us (John 1:14). The psalmist knows, as God does, that we cannot turn to God on our own. So, God becomes human. Jesus, the Christ, lives among us, experiences human life and begins the work of renewal.
Christ becomes the enabler of life as God’s face literally shines on people. God takes the initiative. If you are struggling, looking for hope or feeling lonely, pray for God to be present in your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to turn you to Christ again. And be blessed. And experience life.
God, thank you for becoming like us, so that we could be like you. Renew us; give us life. Amen.
Spring has sprung. Flowers are displaying their colours; fruit is forming on the trees. There is new growth everywhere. As you observe this wonderful new life, may you revel in the new beginnings God offers you each day. As Peter continues to meander his way through the Book of Psalms, he invites you to read them anew and apply them to your life. If you would like his paraphrase of any psalm (from 1 to 120), send your request to pbean087@gmail.com
Go … to the Gentiles (outsiders welcome)
by Peter Bean
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21b).
Read Acts 22:1–21
What an amazing conversion story Paul’s is! Read it and rejoice.
Paul was proud that he was a Jew. He often mentioned it when defending himself (Acts 22:3; Acts 26:4,5). Naturally, when God converted Paul, Paul wanted to witness to his fellow Jews. But God had bigger plans. Instead, he sent Paul to the Gentiles. If you are familiar with Paul’s adventures, you would know he went to many towns across the Roman Empire and wrote many letters to early believers (what we call the epistles).
In these towns, he often spoke in the synagogues, debating with Jewish believers; however, his main task was sharing the revelation about Christ that he had received with non-Jews. And he did it well, starting and encouraging groups of believers in Christ in many places. He is often called the apostle to the Gentiles.
Whatever we think of Paul and his various teachings (often taken out of context today), he demonstrates many of Christ’s characteristics.
He proclaims a message of grace – as opposed to living according to the law – and winning God’s favour that way. He does not dismiss the law but makes it subservient to the gospel.
He definitely goes to the Gentiles: to Macedonia, to Cyprus, to Ephesus, and many other non-Jewish towns. He engages with all kinds of people, sharing the good news of Christ with whomever he meets. Even though he wished to witness to the Jews he grew up with (and he did at times), his main focus was on the outsiders – those who had not grown up with the understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures that Paul had.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is for us, and we rejoice in that. But it is also for those who are outside our church circles. Will we go, will you go … to the outsiders? How will you live out the gospel truth of life, hope and grace?
Thank you, Jesus, for life, hope and grace. Thank you for messengers like Paul. I am not like him, but I am still your beloved one. Help me to share this love and life generously and freely. Amen.
Spring has sprung. Flowers are displaying their colours; fruit is forming on the trees. There is new growth everywhere. As you observe this wonderful new life, may you revel in the new beginnings God offers you each day. As Peter continues to meander his way through the Book of Psalms, he invites you to read them anew and apply them to your life. If you would like his paraphrase of any psalm (from 1 to 120), send your request to pbean087@gmail.com
Full of surprises (outsiders welcome)
by Peter Bean
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel (Luke 7:9b).
Read Luke 7:1–10
We tend to miss so much in this passage! Is it a story about faith, or perhaps lack of faith? Is it about outsiders being welcome or insiders ignoring what is right before them? Is it about Jesus’ power to heal, even when not present at the situation?
Note one: the people following Jesus were Jewish elders (verse 9). That is, those who knew the Torah (law), who trusted God, who were the chosen people.
Note two: the officer whose slave is sick does not even meet Jesus. First, the Jewish leaders speak for him. Then his friends bring the message of his understanding of Jesus’ power and authority. He knows that Jesus can heal. Perhaps he even knows Jesus is the Son of God; he certainly knows what power Jesus has.
Note three: Jesus speaks these words about faith to the Jewish elders, praising a non-Jew (albeit a friend; verse 4), praising a man who believes even if he can’t articulate who or what he believes in.
Note four: the slave is healed. Jesus is not present with the slave. He does not touch the slave or even speak words of healing. He simply expresses his amazement at this Roman officer’s faith.
Wow, what do we learn?
Be careful of your religious faith! What is it based on? What does it tell you? How does it help you live?
Know that God, through the life and death of Jesus, is interested in all people – insiders, outsiders, those who can express their faith clearly and those who struggle with what they believe.
Know that Jesus is present, even when he doesn’t appear to be. Through the Holy Spirit, he can work in our lives, in my life, how, when and where he wills.
Learn that God is full of surprises. Perhaps the main one being that the gift of grace – to you, to me, to everyone and anyone who acknowledges the power and presence of Jesus, even if in ways not expected.
Jesus, there is so much to learn! Give me faith like this Roman officer, to know you can, and do, make me whole. Let me live in your grace. Amen.
Spring has sprung. Flowers are displaying their colours; fruit is forming on the trees. There is new growth everywhere. As you observe this wonderful new life, may you revel in the new beginnings God offers you each day. As Peter continues to meander his way through the Book of Psalms, he invites you to read them anew and apply them to your life. If you would like his paraphrase of any psalm (from 1 to 120), send your request to pbean087@gmail.com