by Charles Bertelsmeier
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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.
Living with conscience and care
by Jodie Hoff
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Pay to all what is due them (Romans 13:7a).
Read Romans 13:1–7
I find Romans 13 is a reading to approach carefully. Words about authority can land differently depending on our experience. Some of us have known authority as wise, protective and life-giving. Others have seen it misused or felt the weight of systems that do not always serve people well.
So I don’t hear this passage as a call to switch off our consciences or simply go along with whatever is expected. I hear it as an invitation to think deeply about how we live as people of faith within the communities, structures and responsibilities that shape our lives.
‘Pay to all what is due them’ sounds simple, but it asks something quite searching of us. What do I owe the people around me? Respect? Honesty? Patience? A willingness to listen? A commitment to contribute to the common good? Sometimes what is ‘due’ is not just a tax or an obligation, but the care and dignity every neighbour deserves.
I know there are days when it is tempting to think mostly about what is fair for me, what costs me least or what helps me get through the day most easily. But this passage gently turns us outward. It reminds us that our choices affect others. The way we speak, lead, respond, participate and challenge can help to build up a community and create space for others to flourish.
Perhaps faithfulness here involves living with both humility and courage: humility to honour others and take responsibility seriously, and courage to ask whether our actions reflect God’s justice, mercy and peace.
God of wisdom and justice, guide us to live responsibly within our communities, with conscience, courage and care. Help us to honour others, seek the common good and follow your way of mercy and peace. Amen.
With more than 25 years of leadership experience in Lutheran schools, Jodie Hoff brings a deep commitment to Lutheran education and the people and communities it serves. Having lived and worked in both Queensland and South Australia, she now serves as the executive director of Lutheran Education Australia. Jodie is passionate about building relationships, fostering connection and creating opportunities for people and communities to flourish. Beyond her work, she enjoys photography and the arts.
Quiet courage
by Jodie Hoff
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom (Daniel 1:17a).
Read Daniel 1:3–21
I wonder how Daniel and his friends felt when everything familiar was suddenly taken from them. Their home, language, names, food, learning and future all seemed to be reshaped by someone else’s plan. They were young, far from home and living inside a culture they had not chosen.
Yet, amid all that change, they did not lose themselves.
Daniel and his friends kept learning. They paid attention. They grew in knowledge and skill. They found a way to live faithfully and contribute wisely, even in a place that must have felt strange and uncertain. Their faith did not make them withdraw from the world around them. Instead, it gave them a grounded centre from which to engage with courage, humility and grace.
I find that deeply encouraging. Most of us know what it feels like to be in situations we did not choose: seasons of change, pressure, uncertainty or heavy expectations. We may not be able to control everything around us, but Daniel’s story invites us to ask: Who am I called to be here? What gifts has God given me for this moment? How might I use what I know, what I am learning, and who I am becoming to serve others well?
The focal verse tells us that God gave these young men knowledge and skill. That is a beautiful reminder that wisdom is a gift, and learning is part of God’s good work in us.
Today, may we trust that God is at work in us too, shaping our gifts, strengthening our courage and helping us live faithfully wherever we find ourselves.
Faithful God, give us quiet courage to make choices shaped by your love and wisdom. Help us to live with integrity, contribute with grace, and remain grounded in you wherever we are placed. Amen.
With more than 25 years of leadership experience in Lutheran schools, Jodie Hoff brings a deep commitment to Lutheran education and the people and communities it serves. Having lived and worked in both Queensland and South Australia, she now serves as the executive director of Lutheran Education Australia. Jodie is passionate about building relationships, fostering connection and creating opportunities for people and communities to flourish. Beyond her work, she enjoys photography and the arts.
One in God’s hand
by Jodie Hoff
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God (Ezekiel 37:23b).
Read Ezekiel 37:15–28
In Ezekiel’s vision, God asks the prophet to take two sticks, each marked with the name of a divided people, and join them together in his hand. It is such a simple, visible action. Still, it carries a deep promise: what has been split apart will not remain divided forever.
The people of Israel knew what separation felt like. Their story held exile, loss, disappointment and fractured trust. Yet God speaks into that brokenness with words of gathering, cleansing and peace. God does not ignore the reality of division, but he also does not leave it as the final word.
There is hope here for us, too. We know how easily communities can be stretched or divided by misunderstanding, hurt, pressure, fear or simply the busyness that pulls people apart. Sometimes the distance is visible; sometimes it sits quietly beneath the surface. Ezekiel reminds us that God keeps drawing people back together, not by pretending the wounds are small, but by holding us in hands strong enough to heal.
The promise, ‘They shall be my people, and I will be their God’, is not just about belonging as individuals. It is about belonging together. We are gathered into relationship with God and with one another. In that belonging, we are invited to practise reconciliation, patience, humility and peace.
Today, may we notice where unity needs tending, in a conversation, a team, a family, a community. And may we trust that God is still gathering, still healing and still holding us together in love.
God of peace, gather us again where we are scattered and heal what is divided in us and among us. Hold us in your love and help us to live as your people with patience, courage and grace. Amen.
With more than 25 years of leadership experience in Lutheran schools, Jodie Hoff brings a deep commitment to Lutheran education and the people and communities it serves. Having lived and worked in both Queensland and South Australia, she now serves as the executive director of Lutheran Education Australia. Jodie is passionate about building relationships, fostering connection and creating opportunities for people and communities to flourish. Beyond her work, she enjoys photography and the arts.