Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[sheaviance1]

v. 24-26 seems to say, at least to me, that God gives his followers a spirit of contentment in their work, whereas a sinner would only see that they are giving their labor away. This speaks to me about perspective that the "good before God" have.

 

[Farmfresh]

Right now vs 18 - 23 are speaking directly to me. :/

Remember me telling you that I was giving up my big "allotment" garden this coming year? Well honestly part of what has made it hardest for me is that I have been feeling just like in verse 18-19 "I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he be a wise man or a fool?"

I KNOW it is time to let this garden go. I physically can't do it right now. It is too big and poorly located (no vehicles or machines can be used on it - all hand work). I also know it is God's will that I stop this year, since a nice couple moved in that is anxious to begin gardening. Still I struggle.

Plus I live with the knowledge that the new (3 years now) owner has eventual plans of building ANOTHER duplex on the site. I really need to get moved before this neighborhood gets any more people in it.

Please pray for me to be able to let go of this vanity and do the things that God has for me now. It is hard.

 

[sheaviance1]

So, I am sitting here this morning after re-reading Eccl. 1 and 2 and just letting my mind wander, pondering on the purpose of life, which is very much like King Solomon was doing, and a few things that I overlooked before stood out to me. He keeps saying "under the sun", and I realized that this phrase could equate to "apart from God" or "with earthly purpose". Someone here probably said the same thing, but it didn't click for me at the time.

Another thing that my mind wandered off to, and I don't recall who brought it up in an earlier post, was the lilies of the field. Everything was created to glorify God, and if you look around, you see His providence. While I was pondering creation, I asked myself, how does a mouse, also one of God's creations, glorify Him? The only answer, and the simplest, most gratifying one, is by being a mouse. It does not strive to be more than what it is. It eats, it sleeps, it scurries, it is a mouse. It does not partake upon a quest for knowledge of the way that the world works, it simply is. Then, I was pondering on Genesis, the story of creation, and something that I never noticed before, and probably wouldn't if it hadn't been for this study of Eccl., is that the first thing in Genesis that God said was not good was for man to be alone. I have no idea why this came to me in my ponderings this morning, perhaps it was just because I started thinking about Creation, but here I am, arriving at the simple truth that God does not want us to be alone. This seemingly has absolutely nothing to do with Eccl, until you think about the fact that King Solomon was sitting down just pondering life in this entire book. He was trying to find it's purpose, and "apart from God", "under the sun" there isn't one. But with God, which is what the intention was when we walked with Him in the Garden of Eden, there was happiness and contentment until we looked for more, got greedy and wanted more that what we were given, and acted on that by taking what was not given.

 

[Farmfresh]

Good stuff. Thanks.

 

[Wannabefree]

So, I am sitting here this morning after re-reading Eccl. 1 and 2 and just letting my mind wander, pondering on the purpose of life, which is very much like King Solomon was doing, and a few things that I overlooked before stood out to me. He keeps saying "under the sun", and I realized that this phrase could equate to "apart from God" or "with earthly purpose". Someone here probably said the same thing, but it didn't click for me at the time.

My thought wandered around this earlier this morning when I got up and did my bible study before work as well, and these were pretty much my thoughts on this chapter too. Weeeeeell...fast forward...

I got a call from my mom just as I was leaving work, they had had some land that the state was going to buy a portion from them for the past 3-4 years to widen a road, well they got the check today. They were headed to pay my electric bill I agreed to repay them when I get back on my feet in a few weeks. Weeeeeell fast forward again.....

I got home, and instead of pulling in the driveway, I pulled up to the mailbox. I had a check that would not only cover the house payment now a week past due, but also a phone bill that is automatically taken out of my account on the 6th!!

Not to mention, the Providence of the job I currently have, which was nothing short of miraculous timing that has allowed us to get chicken feed at the VERY LAST minute, gas to go to church at the VERY LAST minute, and my hubby's meds...also VERY LAST minute.

I suddenly feel like a lilly No doubt my Daddy had His hand in this, and I am feeling the LOVE!!

Ecclesiastes....I'm feelin it!

The whole point is, nothing I could have done, nothing I could have prevented, nothing I could have made happen, nothing I had control over......it's all God. All the jobs in the world, all the money, all the garden I will have this Spring God willing...it doesn't matter. It's nothing I have done. It's ALL God's doing. I can't even breathe without Him, much less take care of myself. Neither did Solomon, and that realization is FREEDOM from the bondage of self, freedom from vanity! Knowing and recognizing God's works even in as small a form as an unpaid electric bill...that's faith building, and half the battle with self reliance. Now all I have to do is remember this lesson.

 

[Farmfresh]

Amen!

 

[BarredBuff]

This is absolutely, positively the BEST!!!

GOD IS GREAT!

 

[BarredBuff]

I just read Eccl. 2 and I may be just tired but I really didnt get alot from it. EXCEPT that all are equal regardless of race, wealth, etc.

 

[sheaviance1]

Wannabefree, all I can say is PRAISE GOD!!!

 

[Wannabefree]

Wannabefree, all I can say is PRAISE GOD!!!

Say it...psh, sister I been SINGIN IT all day!! I had a song stuck in my head all day...Amazing Grace the version by Chris Tomlin I think...LOVE IT My chains are gone....