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.
What is praise?
by Peter Bean
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He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump (Psalm 113:7).
Read Psalm 113
No doubt, this psalm is a psalm of praise! The word ‘praise’ (the Lord) is used three times in the first verse – five times altogether. Most of the psalm is about how wonderful God is – the usual things you think of when you want to give praise.
But then there are verses 7 to 9. As the Lord looks at Earth, what does this generous, wonderful God do? Lifts the vulnerable. Goes out searching for those who are not doing so well. And places them among princes. High and exalted. A totally different place from where they were. Praise the Lord, indeed.
How do you praise the Lord? Do you sing praise songs or hymns? Do you tell God what a wonderful God he is? Bless the name of the Lord? All good and worthy things to do. But it seems there is more. The psalmist is very much in line with many of the prophets. Seek justice, help the oppressed (Isaiah 1), turn your courts into true halls of justice (Amos 5), act with love and justice (Hosea 12), and many more!
Lift the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump! How does that work out in your life? Or is the psalmist unrealistic and doesn’t understand your situation? Perhaps we need to examine ourselves and, in doing so, recognise we might even be the poor and needy – possibly not in a physical sense, but perhaps in a spiritual sense.
And then we can know that Jesus Christ indeed lifts us up to be princes and princesses in his kingdom. So, we can sing our praise songs. But perhaps we can give even more praise by looking around us – at our society – and, as we are able, lifting the poor and needy. I reckon the Lord would enjoy that sort of praise!
Thank you, gracious Lord, for lifting us up. Help us look for opportunities to uplift others and give you praise. Amen.
Spring has sprung. Flowers are displaying their colours; fruit is forming on the trees. There is new growth everywhere. Peter prays that 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 psalms, he invites you to read them anew, applying them to your lives. If you would like his paraphrase of any psalm (from 1 to 91), send your request to pbean087@gmail.com
by Peter Bean
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
May the Lord help you keep your promise … (1 Samuel 1:23b).
Read1 Samuel 1:21–2:11
Promises! Promises! Who really wants to make a promise? So many obstacles can appear when trying to keep it: ‘It’s not the right time’, ‘You misunderstood what I meant’ (notice the shifting of guilt in this statement), ‘Circumstances have changed’, ‘I wasn’t myself when I made that promise.’
Hannah could certainly have used the latter excuse. As we read yesterday, she was very discouraged and poured her heart out to the Lord. She was so distressed that Eli thought she was drunk. One can imagine her thinking, if not saying: ‘God, you will understand. You knew my distress; I was beside myself. Now I have a son, and I must give him up? Surely, God, you are more merciful than that!’
All understandable. All reasonable. Perhaps we have said or thought similar things ourselves. Yet, despite these (possible) thoughts, Hannah kept her promise. She realised that everything – life, possessions, children – is a gift from the Lord. And so, with the Lord’s help, she could release her son to be a servant of the Lord. And, in doing so, she sang a praise hymn to God (1 Samuel 2:1–11). Her truth-telling became a praise hymn!
The best promises are not those we make, but the ones that God has made, kept and continues to fulfil. What is your favourite promise from God? Perhaps you can list two, three or more. Obviously, promises about new life and shalom are wonderful. I like the verses in Isaiah about wolves and lambs living together, wastelands blossoming, eyes being opened and ears being unplugged (see Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 35).
All these have their fulfilment in Christ. ‘The one sitting on the throne said: “Look, I am making all things new!”’ (Revelation 21:5). If you make a promise, ask the Lord to help you keep it. And remember the promises God has made – and kept – through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Loving Creator, thank you for all the gifts you bless us with. At all times, help us to remember your promise of new life, won for us by Christ. Amen.
Spring has sprung. Flowers are displaying their colours; fruit is forming on the trees. There is new growth everywhere. Peter prays that 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 psalms, he invites you to read them anew, applying them to your lives. If you would like his paraphrase of any psalm (from 1 to 91), send your request to pbean087@gmail.com
Discouragement or praise hymns?
by Peter Bean
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15b).
Read 1 Samuel 1:1–20
It’s not popular to talk about our woes or to suggest we are discouraged or down in the dumps. Enter that into a conversation, and it is likely people will turn away. How sad!
When you read (and work with) the psalms, as I have been doing for more than three years, you learn that people were willing to take their gripes to their God. As American theologian Walter Brueggemann said, ‘Old Testament praise is not a practice of “praise hymns” that cover over the reality of life. Rather, there is a habit of truth-telling, to wonder where the loving mercy of God is.’ Again and again, the people ask, ‘Where are you, God?’
In these verses today, I can imagine Hannah speaking some truth-telling to the Lord. ‘Why have you not given me children? Where is your mercy, Lord? Have you forgotten me?’ She was so distressed that Eli, the priest, thought she had been drinking (verses 13 and 14).
But Hannah quickly made it clear that was not the case. Instead, she was pouring out her heart to the Lord. After their conversation, Eli wished her peace and that her request would be granted. She went away no longer sad (verse 18).
If you are discouraged, I want to encourage you to be brave. Take your concerns to the Lord. Take part in some truth-telling. God is big enough to take it. Pour out your heart; wait on the Lord. If you don’t know what to say, let your sighs be your prayer. Take comfort that the Spirit takes them to God (Romans 8:26–28). Or you might want to use a psalm; try Psalm 88, Psalm 86 or another one that works for you.
Let your thoughts or words of discouragement become praise hymns to the Lord.
Lord, when I am discouraged, help me come to you with words, thoughts and sighs. Let your Spirit plead for me. And then grant me peace as I wait for your mercy. Amen.