"So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain (literally, "evil") from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting." (Ecclesiastes 11:10, NASB)
"Therefore remove [the lusts that end in] sorrow and vexation from your heart and mind and put away evil from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity [transitory, idle, empty, and devoid of truth]." (Amplified Bible)
The writer is addressing youth in our text. We can reverse the wording and say, "....Because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting....Put away evil away from your body...." You and I both know of the, "evil," of youth. Hopefully that is one of the reasons you saw a need for a Savior, Jesus. Some of us were born of the Spirit at a very early age, others quite a bit later in life. But sin has "dogged our feet" throughout the journey, "saved" or "unsaved." And not only sin, but bad choices, mistakes, many of which were in the, "youth and dawn of life...." We cannot change any of that; but we can deal with that, "evil," which led to and fed a life which was too many times and for periods which were longer than they needed to be, "transitory, idle, empty, and devoid of truth." Every time anyone "take matters into my own hands," it is certainly, "empty."
Each day brings new opportunities to right wrongs, to repent and be converted, not the repentance which led to our New Birth, but a repentance which continues the Biblical process of sanctification, a life totally separated to Jesus Christ, separated from the ways, philosophy, and life style of the world, not, however, a life separated "out of" the world; you and I are commanded to, "Go into all the world...." Living a lifestyle of repentance is living a life open to much needed course changes, adjustments, corrections. It is a life which no matter how long lived continues to say and live, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me," i.e., "....that I...am...perfected." This is our Father's, Son Jesus', and Holy Spirit's, "that for which Christ Jesus...laid hold of me." This truth is the only Truth which will deliver you and me from the, "fleeting,..devoid of truth," life. Walking in, "....But I press on," will keep us from a proud "I-have-arrived" attitude. It will, "remove...sorrow and vexation from your heart and mind and put away evil from your body...."
Father, in Jesus' Name, in light of Your Words, I can only say thank You for "staying" with me over these years, Faithful, Forgiving, Rebuking, Sustaining. Amen.
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So there were no "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq?!? See Blog: jhs58.blogspot.com
"Therefore remove [the lusts that end in] sorrow and vexation from your heart and mind and put away evil from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity [transitory, idle, empty, and devoid of truth]." (Amplified Bible)
The writer is addressing youth in our text. We can reverse the wording and say, "....Because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting....Put away evil away from your body...." You and I both know of the, "evil," of youth. Hopefully that is one of the reasons you saw a need for a Savior, Jesus. Some of us were born of the Spirit at a very early age, others quite a bit later in life. But sin has "dogged our feet" throughout the journey, "saved" or "unsaved." And not only sin, but bad choices, mistakes, many of which were in the, "youth and dawn of life...." We cannot change any of that; but we can deal with that, "evil," which led to and fed a life which was too many times and for periods which were longer than they needed to be, "transitory, idle, empty, and devoid of truth." Every time anyone "take matters into my own hands," it is certainly, "empty."
Each day brings new opportunities to right wrongs, to repent and be converted, not the repentance which led to our New Birth, but a repentance which continues the Biblical process of sanctification, a life totally separated to Jesus Christ, separated from the ways, philosophy, and life style of the world, not, however, a life separated "out of" the world; you and I are commanded to, "Go into all the world...." Living a lifestyle of repentance is living a life open to much needed course changes, adjustments, corrections. It is a life which no matter how long lived continues to say and live, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me," i.e., "....that I...am...perfected." This is our Father's, Son Jesus', and Holy Spirit's, "that for which Christ Jesus...laid hold of me." This truth is the only Truth which will deliver you and me from the, "fleeting,..devoid of truth," life. Walking in, "....But I press on," will keep us from a proud "I-have-arrived" attitude. It will, "remove...sorrow and vexation from your heart and mind and put away evil from your body...."
Father, in Jesus' Name, in light of Your Words, I can only say thank You for "staying" with me over these years, Faithful, Forgiving, Rebuking, Sustaining. Amen.
**********************
So there were no "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq?!? See Blog: jhs58.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
