Jesus Christ Intends "Pleasure" For Us

"A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil.  This too, I see, is from the Hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment," or, "enjoy pleasure?"  (Ecclesiastes 2:24, 25--NIV)

There is no doubt that God created man to experience, "enjoyment," and, "pleasure."  After His Creative Acts, the Lord God concluded, "that it was very good."  The Word here for, "good," can also be translated, "pleasure."!

Do you enjoy your, "own toil," your work, your marriage, your family, your church, your nation, etc.?  I know, maybe I have expanded the text beyond the Lord's intent, but I'm really not so sure.  Everything which God created, including man, had the approval, "....that it was very pleasurable."  Man's rebellion ruined all of that.  Now, the latter part of our text rings as a condemnation of man's rebellion, "....without Him, who can eat or find pleasure?"  Eve looked away from the Blessed Trinity to the tree and, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it."  The pleasure which she and Adam sought turned to a bitter taste.

"....Find satisfaction...."  Since I believe these are, "God-Breathed," Words and not just thoughts of some, "preacher," or king of Israel, there is something here of a blessing.  Genesis 3 tells us, "Cursed is the ground because of you....It will produce thorns and thistles for you....By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food...."  What occurred to me today is that the curse of Genesis 3 was to affect the opposite of our text.  But there is good news for all who surrender their lives to Jesus Christ: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us."  I believe that now, in a life surrendered to Jesus Christ, that curse is broken.  We should expect in Jesus to, "....find satisfaction in...toil/labor," even if there is some, "sweat."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for the "enjoyment," the, "pleasure," of walking in You and serving You.  Amen.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"What Would You Have Said?

"From that time many of His disciples went back ('went away') and walked with Him no more."  (John 6:66--- Hmm: Interesting Scripture reference)

The phrase, "went back," is literally, "went to the back."  Whatever we take from this, the context is a teaching of Jesus which just went beyond what, "....many of His disciples..," could "handle."  

A mother some days ago asked her child to ask me what the child had asked her.  "Tell me about the Baby Jesus."  I wasn't going to get out the Four Spiritual Laws, or whatever.  So I probed a little and said something like, "Well he was born, grew up.  He went around healing people, and died on a cross and rose from the dead."  The mother's response was interesting, "That raises more questions."  I'm sure it did.

What bothered me most, however, is the fact that I thought I had to come up with some detailed discourse to explain Jesus to this little child: thank Him I didn't.  I think there have been times in my serving Jesus when I thought I had to add more "explanation" so that people could have a fuller grasp of "the Gospel."  Our text reveals something about humanity.  There are some questions which just have no satisfying answer, to anyone. Maybe what we need to do in sharing Jesus with others is:  Keep it short. 

What would you have said to that little child?

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to tell people about You better.  Amen.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"I Applied My Mind To...Explore...All That Is Done" (Really?)

"I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.  What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!"  (Ecclesiastes 1:13, NIV)

Which is another way of saying that none of us can understand fully the mysteries of the Universe.

The word, "random," is interesting.  The dictionary says that in the building trades it means, "without uniformity," e.g., "random size slates."  In slang, it means, "a person or thing that is unknown, unidentified, a person or thing that is...unpredictable."  It is that, "unpredictable," nature of the Universe, much of what Solomon observed of life, which probably unsettles most "God-has-everything-under-control" people.  The more I look at life, the more I see some randomness about it.  But allow me to say that "random" is not necessarily the opposite of "order" in God's economy (Greek, "household management").  I am not, however, as the Presbyterian who fell down the steps and said, "Thank God that's over with."   

You cannot argue with the life reality which the Ecclesiastes writer states in our text.  We may not think so, but when someone asks us a question, what is our response?  Do we have "the" answer?  Do we understand all things?  Was there a "predictability" about the event which a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division told me, the time when a German machine gun opened fire on his patrol and he was the only one of 12 who survived the attack?  It just seems to me too easy to say, "Well, there must have been a reason."  What if there weren't?  Would this unsettle you in your faith?

Maybe the best "answer," if indeed there is one, for the "why-people" is what Jesus told Paul when he prayed and was not receiving the answer he wanted, "My grace is sufficient for you," which means, "is enough for you."  It must be.  It must be if we are to continue to walk in Jesus Christ in this journey.  Do not attempt to find something beyond Jesus' Grace; there is none.  Life is an accumulation of events for which we have no answer to anyone's, "Why?"  Maybe those "Hard Questions" experts should have the nerve to say at times, "We don't know." 

If anyone lives, "I applied my mind to study and to explore...all that is done under the heavens", they will have to come to the same conclusion as in our text, "What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!"

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for the life-sustaining power in, "My grace is sufficient for you."  Amen.

 

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

What Jesus Will "Never Permit"

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."  (Psalm 55:22)

The Interlinear tells us, "Cast your lot, what is given to you, on the Lord, and He shall hold you, provide for you; He shall never permit the righteous to be shaken, moved, or brought down." 

It was late in the evening of June 11, 1970 when Stephen took a "turn for the worse."  By 09:00, June 12, he was gone from us.  Did I pray that Stephen would be healed?  Did I have hopes for him to grow to manhood and be a man today with whom we would celebrate his 54th birthday on July 10, 2019?-- of course.  But none of that happened.  I was, and I can say that I am still devastated by what happen those oh so many years ago.  Yet, by Jesus' grace, mercy, and power, I was not "[brought] down," nor did I, "give way." 

Rather, I stand and am still following Jesus because of the powerful truth of our text.  And, I can say that I will only continue in life as I walk in the powerful, life-sustaining truth of, "Cast your burden on the Lord," Jesus Christ.  Notice that it is Jesus who, "shall never permit the righteous to be moved/shaken"; I cannot do that.  Apart from Jesus Christ I have absolutely no power at all to prevent the "earthquakes" of life and their subsequent, "shaken," destruction.

So, I encourage you today with what David learned so many centuries ago, "Cast your burden on the Lord [Jesus Christ] and He shall sustain you; [Jesus] shall never permit the righteous to be moved/shaken."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I can never adequately thank You for this.  Amen.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Spell-Check Nightmare

"Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari...."  (1 Chronicles 9:14)

"Spell-Check" was extremely upset with me today. 

I am 99.9% certain that you have never seen this verse in a devotional.  It doesn't matter; they too are, "the Words of God."  This should be enough for you and me every day.  Yes, "knowledge," and, "understanding," and, "wisdom," we are told to, "get."  But even when knowledge and understanding don't seem to be forthcoming as we read passages such as our text, we still read all these Words, for they are equally, "God-Breathed," just fully as John 3:16, Psalm 23, or Romans 8:28. 

Just as when Jesus, "breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit,'" so too when you and I read the Words such as found in our text, or in any other passage in the whole Bible, we receive the continual Breath of the very Godhead Himself.

"The Words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life."  (Jesus)

Father, in Jesus' Name, may I never judge which of Your Words are "relevant," or blessing.  They all are, because You Are.  Amen.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2