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.
Praise be to God
by Sue Smith
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The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made (Psalm 145:8,9).
Read Psalm 145:8,9,14–21
What a wonderful psalm to rest in today. Why not speak through it like a prayer?
David praises God for his excellent qualities. Psalm 145:8 harks back to when Moses encountered God on the mountain top in Exodus 34:6:
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed,
‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness …’
Love is the most powerful force in the world. Much can be overcome through love, and God is the source of this all-encompassing, rich and compassionate love. It is God’s love that overcomes evil. What a wondrous thing is this love that we are shown, which is so unchanging and steadfast. This is the absolute measure for all of us. For those downcast, we see that the Lord upholds all who are falling and raises all who are bowed down (verse 14). This love is for everyone – it is also there in the lowest times.
Let us turn to love for every situation we encounter.
Lord God, we praise you for your all-encompassing love for us and that you would lavish us with so much love. Help us to know and show your saving love in every aspect of our lives, so that through the Holy Spirit we might experience and pass on the joy that comes with being in union with you. Amen.
Sue Smith recently retired from the oil industry and lives with her husband, Peter, in Port Macquarie NSW. She enjoys knitting, the gym and ocean swimming. She serves in her local St Peters congregation and on the LCANZ’s Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions (CSBQ).
Where is the treasure?
by Sue Smith
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..that is, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2b,3).
Read Colossians 2:1–7
Here, Paul is writing to a church that he has not yet visited. They are being bombarded by all sorts of teachings and ways of being spiritual. He wants to encourage them to continue walking in the way they were taught and to know that they are in his prayers and are not alone, even when he can’t be with them.
Riches and treasures are mentioned here – riches of assured understanding in God and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, but they are found only in Christ. Don’t be tempted to search anywhere else! Knowledge requires wisdom in application; seek the Holy Spirit in this. This comes by being deeply grounded in Christ and built up in him. Continue to take in God’s word every day.
Seek to support and encourage others you may not see physically, just as Paul did with this body of believers.
‘O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God’ (Romans 11:33a)!
Lord God, we praise you for sharing the mystery of Christ with us, in whom we have all the treasures we need. Help us to live in Christ in every aspect of our lives, share with others, build up the body of your church, and through this, come to overflow with thanksgiving for being in union with you. Amen.
Sue Smith recently retired from the oil industry and lives with her husband, Peter, in Port Macquarie NSW. She enjoys knitting, the gym and ocean swimming. She serves in her local St Peters congregation and on the LCANZ’s Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions (CSBQ).
Treasure in clay jars?
by Sue Smith
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But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us (2 Corinthians 4:7).
Read 2 Corinthians 4:3–12
Would you keep your treasure in clay jars? Can you imagine your most precious and important items being kept in a clay jar?
In biblical days, clay jars were important vessels that held liquids necessary for life: water, wine and oil. They would have been in constant use. These pointy-bottom amphora jars can still be seen in the ancient countries of Türkiye and Greece.
At home, I associate clay jars with the terracotta-coloured pots seen in the garden – left outside, grimy, mossy, exposed to the elements and, therefore, a little worse for wear … and, if they get knocked over, they break quite easily, and then usually are of no further use or worth – except possibly as pieces in the bottom of the next garden pot.
God has decided, however, that the precious lifesaving message of Jesus Christ should be conveyed through us. We are the clay jars existing on Earth. And there is no greater contrast – that God be glorified and proclaimed through the weak clay jars we are. Paul wanted to assure the Corinthians that they have an important role to play in spreading the gospel.
So, for myself, I’m no longer going to worry if I get the occasional chip around the edges, so long as Jesus is glorified.
Can we accept this?
Lord God, thank you for using us as we are – simple clay jars. Help us to show your saving love in every interaction with others, so that you shine through. May you always be glorified in all that happens in our everyday lives. Amen.
Sue Smith recently retired from the oil industry and lives with her husband, Peter, in Port Macquarie NSW. She enjoys knitting, the gym and ocean swimming. She serves in her local St Peters congregation and on the LCANZ’s Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions (CSBQ).