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.
Being Enlightened 27th Day in Lent (Friday) Read: Ephesians 1:15-23 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18-19a (NIV)
The Pixar movie ‘Inside Out’ was released in 2015. My children were teenagers, and I could really relate to the plot and the workings of a teenage mind. Pete Docter conceived this movie after observing changes in his own daughter’s personality as she grew older. The storyline is as follows and for those who haven’t seen it and have teenagers, it can be an eye-opener. ‘Inside Out follows the personified emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust – inside the mind of 11-year-old Riley, who is forced to move from Minnesota to San Francisco. When a struggle between Joy and Sadness leads to core memories being lost and personality islands crumbling, Joy and Sadness embark on a dangerous journey to return to Headquarters, ultimately realising that all emotions especially Sadness, are vital for Riley’s well-being and growth.’
[Wikipedia] Read through the Bible reading for today again (Ephesians 1:15–23). All that God has done in sending Jesus to pay the debt of my sin brings so many emotions within me. I am grateful, thankful, filled with joy, but also with sadness as I know the pain that it cost both Jesus and God. In the above passage, Paul prays that God may open the eyes of the people of Ephesus to the extreme love God has for them and the workings of the Holy Spirit as he brings wisdom and knowledge to their lives about how much God has done and will do in each of their lives. Paul is telling us that too! God loves you so much love that He sent His only Son to the cross as a willing sinless Saviour. God then raised Jesus from the dead after a gruesome death and is seated with God and now rules for eternity.
God has given Jesus all power and authority. But, even with this incredible reign and dominion, you and I were chosen to live with Him. Celebrate with joy and thanksgiving! You have been chosen to enter Heaven – live like that matters!
Prayer: Help me Lord Jesus to understand all that you are saying to me through your Word, the Bible. So often I take things for granted and don’t try to get it. You are always patient with me, thank you. Amen.
Working of God’s Spirit 26th Day in Lent (Thursday) Read: Galatians 5:22-25 “As for us, our hope is that God will put us right with him; and this is what we wait for by the power of God’s Spirit working through our faith.” Galatians 5:5 (GNT)
sin like everyone else, I ask for God’s forgiveness and then I get to begin each day with a clean slate. That is basically what this quote is telling us. God’s Spirit works through each of us, that in itself makes us different – the Holy Spirit produces the fruits of the Spirit to impact our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Showing these qualities in themselves makes us different in a world that is selfish and self-serving, each of these qualities show how we act and react to others. In our Mainly Music Team meetings, before our sessions, we talk and pray that we will be different so that the families and caregivers can wonder what makes us different to then open the door to sharing about Jesus.
Jesus was different. In the society back in 30 AD, he showed uncompromising love and acceptance for all. He stood up for those who were outsiders and expelled from normal society and through love made them whole. He used and showed every possible fruit given by the Spirit to show that He was different. People were drawn to these differences and wanted to know more.
The most amazing act was when Jesus went to the cross for you and me – He loves us so much. Each of us has unlimited access to the Holy Spirit and the fruits and gifts that He provides for each of us. I pray that you will be different and that you will show others that Jesus is your Saviour by how you act and behave. Society is quick to label and ostracise; it is not easy to be different. So rather, show that you are a Christian by your love. God helps us through the Holy Spirit – don’t forget to use this amazing power!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you that you were different and that I have an example of a true servant to follow. Help me to not be ashamed of you and the Gospel, but to shine out to all displaying the fruits of the Spirit. Amen
‘The God Who Stays’ 25th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
I am sitting in my home office looking at all the devotions I need to write for this Lenten devotional, and I feel somewhat overwhelmed. How can I write another one? Surely, I have said everything. Then, on my Spotify Christian play list, this song comes on by Matthew West – ‘The God who Stays’. This is exactly what I need to say for this devotion. “If I were You I would’ve given up on me by now I would’ve labelled me a lost cause ‘Cause I feel just like a lost cause If I were You I would’ve turned around and walked away I would’ve labelled me beyond repair ‘Cause I feel like I’m beyond repair Oh, but somehow You don’t see me like I do Somehow You’re still here You’re the God who stays, You’re the God who stays You’re the one who runs in my direction, When the whole world walks away You’re the God who stands, With wide open arms And You tell me nothing I have ever done can separate my heart From the God who stays” [by Matthew West].
Throughout the Bible we have examples of God remaining by His people when they have sinned and turned away from Him. God returns again and again in love to a people who don’t deserve His love. Are we really any different? As God’s people we have experienced many ups and downs, we may have turned away from Him and yet, “inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (verses 16b, 17) I love in the song lyrics that it says that God not only stays beside us through thick and thin, but He also runs towards us like the father in the story of the prodigal son. No matter what the world throws at us or accuses us of, there is nothing “…nor anything else in all creation, that will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) A God who never leaves me is the God in whom I place my hope!
Prayer: Thank you, dear God, for always staying by my side. You are there in my joyous times and also when I am discouraged and sad. In you I place my hope and trust. Amen.