Devotions

temporary advantage

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

SOMETHING’S COMING THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL

Ecclesiastes 2:13-16

¹³ And I realized that there is an advantage in being wise over being a fool, just like there is an advantage in being in the light over being in darkness. ¹⁴ The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also understood that the same fate happens to all of them. ¹⁵ So I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is impermanent. ¹⁶ Because of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring legacy, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Watch how the wise dies just like the fool!

temporary advantage

Solomon is not recanting his philosophy of wisdom, shown so well in his contrasts of the wise and the foolish in Proverbs.[1] No, he is saying that there is a definite advantage to being wise over against being a fool. Wise people follow the light, and so avoid all kinds of trouble and danger. The fool stumbles in darkness.

But this advantage is only temporary, because eventually the wise and the fool meet at the grave. Death claims both. The darkness of death awaits us all.

This is a message to all of us who have worked hard at keeping our lives under control. Our mortality is not something that we can handle. We cannot prevent our deaths, nor can we raise ourselves from the dead. We need a Saviour.

LORD, thank you for the light of wisdom from your word to guide our lives. Thank you for the promise of resurrection life your word contains. Thank you for your grace, and the death of Christ which makes that resurrection possible.

[1] Proverbs 10:8, 14; 11:29; 12:15; 14:3, 16; 29:9, 11.

Posted in dependence upon God, guidance, mortality, resurrection, Solomon | Tagged Ecclesiastes 2 | Leave a comment

already accomplished

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

NOW WHAT?

Ecclesiastes 2:10-12

¹⁰ And whatever my eyes wanted I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, because my heart found pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward for all my work. ¹¹ Then I thought deeply about all that my hands had done and the labour I had expended in doing it, and my conclusion: all was impermanent and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. ¹² So I turned to think deeply about wisdom and madness and folly. Because what can the man accomplish who comes after the king? Only what has already been accomplished.

already accomplished

My journey alongside the collector has given me a new perspective on my personal ambitions. For the past few years, I have been getting more and more involved in writing, as is evident from my books, blogs and the theological journals I edit and write for. Like Solomon, I can now look back on a considerable accomplishment. But, also like Solomon, I can assess my work and my assessment is that there is really nothing new there. I have merely rewritten some things that others have written in earlier generations.

But I have really enjoyed the process. Like Solomon, my reward has been the pleasure I have found in the work itself. What a loving creator we have. He finds joy in bringing us into being, and has created us with the ability to find that same joy in our own creations.

The bad news is that there are currently limits to our own creativity. At some point, each of us will look back and discover those limits. Eventually all of us will die, and the world will go on without us. Others will have their turn under the sun. It is this bad news – so eloquently stated by Solomon – which is the backdrop to the good news we find in the New Testament. There is a chance for another life, an eternal life. In the resurrection life, the joy of accomplishment can go on forever.

LORD, thank you for the wisdom we can find when we discover our present limits, and the joy of anticipating a future life without them.

Posted in ambition, change, gospel, resurrection, Solomon | Tagged Ecclesiastes 2 | Leave a comment

all the pleasures

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

ARE YOU UNIQUE?

Ecclesiastes 2:4-9

⁴ I increased projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. ⁵ I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also increased the number of my herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. ⁸ I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure from kings and provinces. I provided for myself singers, both men and women, and many concubines, all the pleasures of the children of Adam. ⁹ So I became greater and exceeded all who were before me in Jerusalem.

all the pleasures

Solomon was not only a success, he was a success in numerous diverse ventures at the same time. He exceeded everyone who had preceded him in Jerusalem. He had a taste of all the pleasures that his people had ever known. The value of this knowledge is that it answers the objection of uniqueness. Do not think that you are driven because there is something in your DNA which makes you special. All of us are driven. Each of us seeks a certain pleasure, a certain objective. But the collector did not just try everything, he sought everything, and achieved it all.

Those of us who are still seeking need to know that Solomon found all these pleasures ultimately unsatisfying. There was yet another pleasure which he sought in his old age, because he wanted something that would last.

LORD, give us the wisdom to seek the pleasure of your presence, the experience of a relationship with you.

Posted in ambition, relationship with God, Solomon | Tagged Ecclesiastes 2 | Leave a comment

heart test on a holiday

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

ENJOY, BUT REMEMBER …

Ecclesiastes 2:1-3

¹ I said in my heart, “Walk on now, I will evaluate you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But watch, this also was impermanent. ² I said of laughter, “It is insane,” and of pleasure, “What good does it do?” ³ I searched in my heart ways to occupy my body with wine- my heart still guiding me with wisdom- and how to lay hold on recklessness, until I would see what was good for children of Adam to do under the sky during the few days of their lives.

heart test on a holiday

Solomon decided to test his heart while he was enjoying himself. He turned on his video camera and caught himself drinking, laughing, behaving recklessly, and having a good time. Watching the replay, he was able to analyse his actions. He had already learned his conclusion: it does not last. That’s what he is trying to tell you and me. There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself. You just have to remember there will be a December 26^th. Seek God, because a relationship with him will last for eternity.

LORD, thank you for a reason to celebrate today. Thank you for access to you, which brings a joy that lasts.

Posted in Christmas, discernment, relationship with God, wisdom | Tagged Ecclesiastes 2 | Leave a comment

lots of aggravation

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING SO HARD FOR?

Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

¹⁶ I said in my heart, “I have become great, increasing my wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has experienced tremendous wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷ And I applied my heart to understand wisdom and to understand madness and folly. I discovered that this effort is also only a striving after wind. ¹⁸ Because with lots of wisdom comes lots of aggravation, and someone who increases his knowledge increases his suffering.

lots of aggravation

Young person, do you want to be successful? Don’t think that learning a lot or accomplishing a lot is going to make you happy. The collector has been there, and he can tell you that it will not happen. He learned all there was to learn. He accomplished more than anyone before him. All it got him was aggravation and suffering.

It was only later in life that this old man discovered that he had been doing many right things for wrong motives. All of his pursuits were for self, not God. His expectations destroyed his accomplishments. If he had sought the kingdom of God first, then he could have had both success and satisfaction.

LORD, we pray for all those young people who are just getting started with their life’s pursuits. Give them the wisdom to put your kingdom first, and the ability to have success and enjoy it.

Posted in dependence upon God, discernment, discipleship, kingdom of God, suffering | Tagged Ecclesiastes 1 | Leave a comment

science is hard work

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

A WORD OF APPRECIATION FOR ALL SCIENTISTS

Ecclesiastes 1:12-15

¹² I the Collector, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ And I gave my heart to seek and to search out in wisdom all that is done under the sky. It is hard work that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹⁴ I have carefully watched everything that is done under the sun, and I saw that it all is impermanent and a striving after wind. ¹⁵ Whatever is twisted cannot be made straight, and what is missing cannot be made up for.

science is hard work

The modern day scientist has inherited the work of this ancient collector, and both would agree that it is hard work. Trying to figure out the intricacies and details of all that exists under the sky (and above it) takes patience and intelligence. Rules that many consider set in stone change constantly. Answers that were assumed for generations are often debated anyway. In the end, many discover that they have spent their lives searching for an elusive prize – an antidote, a solution, a better way to do things. Often that which had been searched for remains a mystery.

Still, let me just say to all of you scientists that we appreciate your work. You want to make this world a better place to live in, and we thank you for that. Many think that those of us who are religious are opponents of science. Not so. Solomon in his later years saw what some of us are beginning to see. Science is a useful servant, but not so good a master. Trying to figure the world out can be hard work, especially if you leave its creator out of the equation. Thankfully, there are many scientists today who have a strong relationship with God.

LORD, thank you for those who take upon themselves that hard work of learning and improving the world around them.

Posted in creation, nature, relationship with God, science | Tagged Ecclesiastes 1 | Leave a comment

happened already

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHAT IS REALLY WORTH STRIVING FOR?

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

⁹ Whatever has happened is what will happen, and whatever has been done is what will be done, and there is not anything new under the sun. ¹⁰ Is there a thing of which it is said, “Look, this is new”? It has happened already in the ages before us. ¹¹ There is no legacy of those former things, nor will there be a legacy of later things yet to happen among those who come after.

happened already

The old Solomon looks back on his career as an innovator and remembers all those “new” buildings he built – all those “new” alliances he formed, etc., and he realises just how fleeting those innovations were. His conclusion is that everything a person might attempt has really happened already. Believing otherwise is just self-delusion.

Why would someone want to spoil the hopes of a future generation like that? Well, it is clear that Solomon is not trying to get his listeners to stop trying new things. He just wants them to stop putting all their hopes of fulfilment in their projects. The true legacy of any generation is not what they accomplish, but who they were.

LORD, in all our seeking for new things, help us to stay firmly grounded in our relationship with you – the ancient of days.

Posted in ambition, commitment, discipleship, relationship with God | Tagged Ecclesiastes 1 | Leave a comment

cycles

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

HINTS OF FOREVER

Ecclesiastes 1:5-8

⁵ The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises. ⁶ The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. ⁷ All streams run to the sea, but the sea never gets full; to that place where the streams are flowing, there they flow again. ⁸ All these things make a person completely tired; a man cannot explain it; the eye does not get satisfied by seeing it, nor the ear filled by hearing it.

cycles

The sun, the wind, flowing streams – examples of things that keep going in cycles. As signs from God they are kind of deceptive. They give the impression that permanence is possible, because they never stop. Darkness comes, but the sun appears again. The wind keeps blowing, the streams keep flowing.

Solomon had just started his book by giving his conclusion, and his conclusion was that nothing was permanent. Then he goes and gives three examples that appear to contradict his thesis. He’s not crazy. He is just seeing hints from God that we are not doomed to an eternity of lives that end. No, there is hope that someday our lives will be just as constant as the cycles in nature.

LORD, we long for lives that reflect your permanence.

Posted in discernment, eternal life, future | Tagged Ecclesiastes 1 | Leave a comment

absolutely impermanent

Posted on December 20, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHAT DRIVES YOU?

Ecclesiastes 1:1-4

¹Words from a collector, a son of David, king in Jerusalem. ² “Absolutely impermanent,” the collector says, “absolutely impermanent, everything is impermanent.” ³ What does a man get for doing all his hard work under the sun? ⁴ A generation goes, the next generation comes, but the land stays standing for the age.

absolutely impermanent

Solomon had a chance to do it all, and his philosophical conclusion after doing it all was – it does not last. This is where maturity begins. If we lie to ourselves and pretend that we are immortal and that we can accomplish something that will never crumble into dust, we are not there yet.

The illusion of permanence drives most of us, as it drove Solomon most of his life. He kept collecting a kingdom full of buildings, piles of money, employees, even relationships! Nothing satisfied his thirst for permanence. Solomon does not deny that permanence is possible. He just denies that it is possible in this life, here under the sun. If we want something more, we have to look to God. He is the only permanence.

LORD, we choose to establish and nurture our relationship with you, because it is the only thing that will last.

Posted in ambition, relationship with God | Tagged Ecclesiastes 1 | Leave a comment

the real last words

Posted on December 19, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

LOOK AT THE TOMB, GO TO GALILEE

Mark 16:1-8

¹ When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and James’ Mary and Salome bought aromatic spices,[a] so that they might go and anoint him^{. 2} And very early on the first day of the week, just after the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ But they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴ Then looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back- it was very large. ⁵ Then entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were surprised. ⁶ But he said to them, “Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. Look at the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” ⁸ And they went out and fled from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

SOME OF THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS DO NOT INCLUDE 16:9-20.

the real last words

Mark’s Gospel ends with an empty tomb, trembling witnesses, and a message that Jesus has gone ahead to Galilee. It feels abrupt, unfinished, almost jarring. But that is exactly Mark’s intention. The story is not over because the story is not meant to end on a page. It is meant to continue in the lives of those who believe. The women flee in fear, the disciples are summoned to Galilee, and the risen Christ is waiting to meet them there—not to wrap things up, but to send them out. Galilee is where the mission began, and Galilee is where it begins again. The apostles will discover that resurrection is not the conclusion of the gospel but the launching point of their calling. The excellent message is now theirs to proclaim, and the unfinished ending becomes an open door for ministry.

For anyone who feels drawn to serve, this is where our story begins as well. We stand before the same empty tomb. We hear the same commission. We face the same world that needs the same gospel. Mark leaves us with a question, not a conclusion: now that Jesus has risen, what will His followers do? The abruptness is an invitation. The silence is a summons. The risen Lord is already ahead of us, calling us to meet Him where the work is waiting.

LORD, You have now given us our ultimate evidence of Your reality and power. We stare at an empty tomb, and we do not ask where You are. We ask where You will send us.

[a] άρωμα

Posted in faith, ministry, missions, resurrection | Tagged Mark 16 | Leave a comment