Key Verses: Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13-14
Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them.”
…Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

“Dead flies” – Chapter 10 begins by warning us that some foolishness can destroy much of the good that wisdom has accomplished. The consistent application of our minds and hearts to wisdom, such as this daily blog encourages, will help keep us on track. As 10:4b instructs us, “Do not leave your post!”

In order to help his large family understand the Scriptures, Ken Taylor created a paraphrase called “The Living Bible.” He renders Ecclesiastes 11:4 this way: “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” Someone has called this “the paralysis of analysis.” God has given us the ability to asses a situation, make a decision, and move forward boldly.

The final chapter gives us Solomon’s conclusions. The wisdom God gave him is summed up in our key verses. Let’s take time to meditate on “the whole matter!”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, You have created me, according to the Scriptures, in Your likeness. Therefore, I ask that I will be conscious minute by minute of Your presence so that I will fulfill Your plans for my life. You expect me to make my decisions with a confidence that if I’m going wrong, You will steer me by giving me Your wisdom, so that I will make course corrections. Thank You that You give purpose and meaning to my life. I pray in the Name of the One who “set His face like a flint” to go to the Cross for me, Jesus my Messiah! Amen!!! (read of the decisions of Jesus in Isaiah 50:6-7 and Luke 9:51-53).

100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I have often spoken to teens and young people in their twenties from Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, as well as from Chapter 12 verse one. “REMEMBER!” and again in verse six, “REMEMBER!” For my own life I’ve sought to “REMEMBER!” Solomon’s conclusion after trying all kinds of things is clear and concise. I realized as a teen that I don’t have to go through all the things that messed up Solomon’s life, concluding in his old age as he stated at the beginning Ecclesiastes, “Vanity of Vanities, says the preacher, all is vanity.” Instead of emptiness, I am full. Instead of a vacuum in my life, I overflow with the presence of the Lord. As Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (read Ephesians 5:15-21).

Yours for being filled with God’s presence and for keeping filled 24/7,

David