Today Our Daily Bread Eccliastes 5

Eccl 5:1-20
God's in Charge, Not You
1Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offeringa sacrifice, Doing more harm than good. 2Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you--the less you speak, the better. 3Over-work makes for restless sleep. Over-talk shows you up as a fool. 4When you tell God you'll do something, do it--now. God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it.5Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up. 6Don't let your mouth make a total sinner of you.When called to account, you won't get by with "Sorry, I didn't mean it. "Why risk provoking God to angry retaliation? 7But against all illusion and fantasy and empty talk. There's always this rock foundation: Fear God!
A Salary of Smoke
8Don't be too upset when you see the poor kicked around, and justice and right violated all over the place. Exploitation filters down from one petty official to another. There's no end to it, and nothing can be done about it. 9But the good earth doesn't cheat anyone--even a bad king is honestly served by a field. 10The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, Nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke. 11The more loot you get, the more looters show up. And what fun is that--to be robbed in broad daylight? 12Hard and honest work earns a good night's sleep, Whether supper is beans or steak. But a rich man's belly gives him insomnia. 13Here's a piece of bad luck I've seen happen: A man hoards far more wealth than is good for him14And then loses it all in a bad business deal. He fathered a child but hasn't a cent left to give him.15He arrived naked from the womb of his mother; He'll leave in the same condition--with nothing.16This is bad luck, for sure--naked he came, naked he went. So what was the point of working for a salary of smoke?17All for a miserable life spent in the dark?
Make the Most of What God Gives
18After looking at the way things are on this earth, here's what I've decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that's about it. That's the human lot. 19Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift! 20God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live.
~ Lena’s Journalin’ ~
This is the difference between religion and relationship. In relationship we listen to what the other person has to say, we do not constantly evaluate what they say, we listen, we care about their input, we consider their opinion, not for debate, but for relational communication. We may not initially feel we agree with all that is said but we do not shut them down, we consider what was shared, because of the person, because we respect (or are endeavoring to gain respect) the person. This writer describes the normal daily dialog of prideful Americans, who feel only their opinion matters, and that they continuously have to win a war and win the debates, which we create for sheer contesting, so that we can set ourselves up as winners. Religion goes to the House of God and of His people thinking, well at least I came, I’ve done my good deed for the week, or month or year or whatever. That religious person makes sacrifices for God and is not going to God’s House to hear a life-changing message that they can apply and bring change into their life with. They sit through services waiting for the service to end, so they can go home as son as possible without being requested to change. We’ve always looked at vs 5 as we should not vow vows or make promises, but I believe it is saying, make promises both to God and to people and KEEP those promises! That is not easy and when we do it causes us to depend upon God’s spirit to be able to fulfill the promises, because on our own we won’t. I always listen to what people say when you invite them to church etc, or I hear them say- I really need that etc, and then I invite them, they say Oh I’d love to be a part of that. So I give them what it takes to become a part of that (like times and directions to Bible Studies etc), I hear them say, Ok I’ll see you_____________ and they never come. So I’ll say, Did you still want to come, you said (promised) you’d like to come? I’m pointing out that I believe their words, I also want them to listen to themselves and follow through with their own words and I want to show them how important their own words are to the fulfillment of purpose in their lives. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, I believe when they say they want to pursue God or a relationship with His Body, they mean it, because it is every person’s heart cry, to truly know God, be known by God and to make Him known. This is our design. This is why so much of what we do in life tries to substitute this desire and this design. Pulls us to think it will fulfill us. Only God, His Body, His word and purposes can fulfill us. Oh God, my heart screams out when I read this (8-17). People actually live for money and things! Dear God help us. I am so at a plight to help others see what I’ve seen about eternity, time & life. I mean our culture tells us we have to have, and at the expense of happiness and true fulfillment. Many, many people have said money and it’s bounty will never satisfy and we see that, yet we pursue its call rather than following after God call on our lives. To win souls and make disciples, and bring them into His body to learn for themselves how to win souls and make disciples, then send them out to do the same. If we don’t live for this we are not alive (in Christ). We are not living. Well we may be living, but for what? A temporary satisfaction?, a sense of fulfillment? Yes, but there is SO MUCH MORE! Oh My Lord, there is so much more. I wish every person on earth would have the experience of rescuing a person out of hell’s fire. Once a person gets a revelation that people, friends, family, the world, your enemies, your neighbors and co-workers (yes even the most irritating guy) are going to live forever (alive in death, sensing every pain, tormented by separation form God and utter darkness, where there is no eternal saving life at all) in hell, that person cannot live for mere money anymore. That person cannot seek only after earthly enjoyment and material fulfillment, ever. Their hearts are set on God’s heart and they see only the potential of rescue, everyday. They have love on their minds. (Love is defined, your eternal good, at my earthly desires’, expense). When a person sees this there’s no greater prosperity than to fulfill earthly purposes that are Divine, and yes, we should work. Work the work of God while you work. Deposit His character everywhere you go and with every person you meet, Use each business transaction to promote your witness for Christ, not a religious activity, but a life lived out for Christ! Show your God-seeking life to the wold and as you do it feed your family and buy what you desire and need. The difference is you work for God, not for things. :-)