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.
Remembering God 30th Day in Lent (Tuesday) Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-6 “We remember before our God an
d Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV) “A teenager was sitting in the pastor’s office saying, ‘Sometimes I don’t think I am a Christian. I don’t seem to have the same interest and excitement, or enthusiasm I once did. It isn’t easy for me to remember God, to come to church, and to pray. It is too easy to find excuses to stay away from church and then to make those excuses into reasons why I should stay away. Pastor, I know God hasn’t left me, but boy I sure feel as if I have left Him.’ The pastor said, ‘Remember the time your father was away from home on those long business trips? Was it difficult for you to remember him?’ ‘Not a bit,’ the boy said, ‘I had letters from him, and I kept thinking about him, and he sent me gifts in the mail so I would remember him.’
‘Suppose’ said the pastor, ‘There were no letters, no gifts and you never mentioned his name in conversation around the house. What then???’ ‘Then, maybe, I would have forgotten about him. That would have made a difference,’ said the boy. ‘Well,’ said the pastor, ‘that is the way it is with God. Sure, it is tough to remember God, it is tough to stay a Christian in this world. But God has given us His Word, like your father’s letters, to remember Him. God has given us His gifts of Holy Communion & Baptism as a physical reminder of His love for us, like the gifts your father sent you.
God also wants us to include Him in our conversations, not just on Sunday, but throughout the week, so that we will remember Him. It is tough to stay a Christian, it is tough to remember God doesn’t leave you, it is tough to keep a relationship with God alive, exciting and fresh. God is working on His end, and He wants you to continue to work on your end. He has given you all the tools, necessary, only, you have to decide if you will use them.’” [by Tim Zingale] Try this: Work produced by faith, labour prompted by love and endurance inspired by hope!
Prayer: Thank you, God, for the work you do to help me grow in faith and in knowledge of your love. Gude me as I grow in faith, love and hope. I believe that you are my God and I want to know you better. Amen.
A Believing Heart 29th Day in Lent (Monday) Read: Colossians 1:3-6 “…the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel…” Colossians 1:5 (NIV)
I have eaten a Toblerone chocolate quite a few times. It is the chocolate nougat bar shaped in a triangle and has a mountain picture on the packet. It was only last year when my son took us to the Matterhorn in Switzerland and we took a Toblerone chocolate with us that I saw the correlation between the chocolate and the mountain. I had been told that the mountain looked the shape of the chocolate, seen pictures and even drawings (on the box). But it was only when having the mountain and the chocolate together and right in front of me that I finally saw it.
A Toblerone chocolate piece really is the shape of the Matterhorn (one of the highest mountains in the Alps and Europe). I was told about this fact. I saw pictures. I had people tell me about it. But it took a personal experience to finally believe it. We have heard about God’s love for us, we have read about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection just for us in the Bible, we have seen movies and pictures, but do you really believe all that God has told us. Paul wrote to the people in Colossae encouraging them and praying that they would understand the Gospel of Jesus and take it to their hearts.
It is so important to pray for each other now as well. We have been told about it so many times and how He has an eternal life prepared for us. I believe this and have this hope. Do you? Our belief and faith will show itself in bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit and also by wanting to make sure everyone knows about Jesus. God wants all people to be saved and for them all to be a part of His family. Just having faith in a god is not good enough. Christianity is all about Jesus and what Christ has done for us through the cross. Universalism will not get us to heaven – only through Jesus can we be saved! The love of Jesus is for all – share this love and maybe a Toblerone!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to know and experience your love and take it into my heart and life. You have given me a mission to spread the Gospel. Guide my words and actions that others will know this love. Amen.
Our Hope is Assured 5th Sunday during Lent Read: Philippians 1:3-11 “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
“Jesus is coming back someday. Could be tomorrow, could be today! Jesus is coming back I know for the Holy Spirit told me so” This was a song I learned while on a Lutheran Youth Encounter Team in the USA. It was a fun song where the leader would choose someone to tell a story (fact or f iction) and then just at the crunch line, the song would start. I remember thinking, wow, Jesus really could come back while I am brushing my teeth or writing a devotion or spending time with family. We just don’t know, and in the Bible, it tells us that not even Jesus knows, only our Heavenly Father.
That means we need to be ready! When Jesus comes back, is He really going to take me with Him, or is He going to change His mind at the last minute? That can be a really scary thought, but Paul in the Bible verse tells us that we have this hope of eternal life given to us by the Holy Spirit and so we can be confident that God will be with us always. Thinking about the day of Christ’s return should be a joyous thought. But for many it can be scary.
Have they done enough? Have they told enough people about Jesus? “What about my family – they won’t listen to me!” Paul assures us that our hope with Jesus is assured, “all of you share in God’s grace with me.” (verse 7b) God sent His son Jesus to be a substitute for us and take all our sins and wrongdoings on Himself. He took all our burdens, uncertainties and failures to the cross with Him and washed them away with His precious blood. With Jesus doing that for us, we can have the hope of a future life in the presence of a loving Father. God wants this for you and me. Trust and believe in God and that He has your life in His arms. Be assured, God will take you to be with Him on the day of Christ Jesus!
Prayer: My dear Jesus, you have saved me through your death and rising from the dead. I know and believe in you and trust that you also have my eternal life in your hands. Amen.