Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 

Developing a Heart for Service

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 12: 1-3

Key verse: Vs 1: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come'

DEVOTION

Some Scholars believe that King Solomon may have written Song of Songs in his youth, Proverbs in his middle age, and Ecclesiastes in his old age. He was the wisest king of Israel and during his reign, the nation was very wealthy and there was peace in His kingdom. So he had all the resources to explore what life is all about. The first few chapters of Ecclesiastes reflect his point of view rather than God’s. He enjoyed everything that his eyes and heart desired under the Sun.  Toward the end of his life, he felt all of them were meaningless, a chasing after the wind. He also noticed that the rich and the poor, wise and the fool, righteous and the wicked all share the same destiny ie, death. Whoever reads the book of Ecclesiastes may have questions such as: What is the purpose of life? Why should we live? But before we get too depressed, in the last chapter, we read “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come.” He concluded his writings with “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man” 
Solomon forgot his Creator in his youth and he learned that life lived apart from God is meaningless. So he exhorts us to remember the Creator in the days of youth. As our Creator made us in His image we are to bear His image of divine characteristics and live a fruitful life so that we can be a blessing to those  around us. It is crucial, at a young age to  establish faith, understand the purpose of life and build a strong foundation in God. Pro. 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it”. If we walk with God and obey His commandments we will know what to pursue in life. When he was young he could only observe things under the Sun and couldn’t comprehend what happens beyond the sun. Few words of wisdom from his teachings:
One who loves God will avoid all extremes.
One who pleases God will escape the snares of this world.
One can find satisfaction in his work, food, or drink if they come from God. 
There is nothing better than to be happy and do good while we live.
No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun -  the work of the Creator the maker of all things but He is in control of everything,  
When one follows the ways of his heart and whatever his eyes see, he can be sure that for all those things God will bring him to account.
To quote C.S. Lewis, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world” 

PRAYER

 Dear Heavenly Father, as You have set eternity in man’s heart, help us not to follow the world, but rather live our lives obeying Your commandments in view of the heavenly inheritance in store for us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 “Life is too short to follow the wrong path. And today is always a great day to start finding the right one”. Apart from God life is meaningless!



Susan John, San Francisco Mar Thoma Church, CA

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