June 19 – Ecclesiastes 1 - 6

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Ecclesiastes 1 - 6. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Ecclesiastes is the third book we have come to penned by King Solomon son of King David. If you remember Solomon wisely asked for wisdom from God when given anything he wanted to ask for. God blessed him because his request pleased God. We have read and seen the blessing God bestowed on Solomon; giving him the privilege of building the Temple, a magnificent palace, and all kinds of great wealth. According to Solomon’s writings in Ecclesiastes Solomon denied himself nothing and in doing so learned an important lesson.

Solomon learns this … “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT) and … “We don’t remember what happened in the past and future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.” (Ecclesiastes 1:11 NLT) How true those words are. Sure we might have new inventions … the iPad I do my reading on and preach my sermons form was not something old turned new. But what is on it is nothing new … I am still reading text, taking in information, reading a Bible that found its completely nearly two thousand years ago. The sermons I write, filled with what I think are the freshest ways to say the same things, have all been preached before. Sure the iPad may be new, but what is on it was simply done in a different way before.

So why don’t we learn from the generations before? I think the answer is found later in the reading. History books can teach us a lesson. People can share what they have experienced. We can have all the head knowledge available. But I think too we need the experience. “Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18 NLT) It is good to learn from our own mistakes. It is good to enjoy life. It is good to find pleasure where God intended pleasure. It is good to make mistakes. Mistakes only make us stronger, they only teach us a lesson, they only mold and shape us the way God intends us to be.

Learn from the generations that have come before. Avoid major catastrophes. But enjoy life. Learn from your own mistakes. Pass those lessons along to the next generation.

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