OT: “Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before him. However, it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, for they are not reverent before God. There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile… Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: The righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands. People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them. Everything is the same for everyone: There is one fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so also it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who takes an oath, so also for the one who fears an oath.” (‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭8:12-14; ‭9:1-2‬ ‭CSB)

Most of Solomon’s commentary throughout Ecclesiastes was in regards to life “under the sun…” life in the here and now. One of the truths that Solomon believed to be unjust – one of the things that made life under the sun futile, was that everyone suffers the same fate at the end of their life. It doesn’t matter how well you lived or how badly you lived, in the end, everyone will die. Your life could be full of sin and lived out selfishly for your own pleasure and desires, or you could live a completely righteous life, always considering others before yourself – in the end, both the wicked and righteous die. To make things worse, in this life, many times the wicked get the reward that the righteous deserve and the righteous get the reward that the wicked deserve. Sometime, because of a wicked person’s cheating and conniving, they end up living a long and prosperous life – and those who live selflessly end up living a short and meager life. None of that seemed fair to Solomon. It all seemed meaningless and futile. Why does it matter how you live your life if you end up with the same fate.

However, there is more to our lives than the life that we live “under the sun.” Though this present life may seem unjust and futile, the justice that comes at the end of our mortal lives is sure. Solomon knew that after our lives on earth are over, there is an eternal life-to-come. The after-life goes well for those who lived their lives in fear of God. However, it does not go well for the wicked. How we live our lives in the here and now, determines how we will live our lives for eternity. What seems unjust now, will not continue in injustice when this life is over. What seems like futility now, takes on meaning and purpose when we view it through the eyes of eternity. Once this life is over, we don’t have an opportunity for a do-over. We must choose now how we will live and Who we will serve. The sufferings of this life in the name of righteousness pale in comparison to the glory the righteous receive in the life-to-come. The pleasures of this world pale in comparison to the eternity of emptiness and lifelessness the wicked will receive in the life-to-come. What will the focus of your life be?

Prayer: Lord, though there are things that happen in this life that seem unfair or unjust… though there are things in this life that make no sense and can even cause me to question your goodness and faithfulness, I know that this life is not the end of the story. The life we live now is setting us up for our eternal future. Help me to live this life always with eternity in mind, committed to Your word, will and ways; and help me to not grow discouraged and jaded when things in this life do not turn out the way I expect. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart. Grief is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad. The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure. It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person than to listen to the song of fools, for like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.” (‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:2-6‬ ‭CSB)

“Good grief!” is an negative exclamation expressing dismay, but Solomon wrote that there is such a thing as grief that is good. When Solomon wrote that grief is better than laughter and that it’s better to go into a house of morning than a house of feasting, he wasn’t saying that laughter and feasting is bad. In fact, earlier in this book, he wrote that there is a time to laugh and a time to dance. In the same breath, he also wrote that there is a time to weep and a time to mourn. What Solomon is addressing here is the folly of refusing to mourn or grieve. The poet Thomas Gray once wrote, “Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.” Children are usually ignorant of the challenges and struggles of life, and in their ignorance, they are blissful – but as they go through life and experience hardship, pain and grief, they become more wise and more able to handle the rigors of responsibility and adulthood. Peter Pan was a boy who refused to grow up, and there are plenty of foolish and ignorant “Peter Pans” in the world. This is what Solomon was writing about.

Innocent and ignorant boys and girls are cute and entertaining to watch, but there is something regal about a wise woman – there is something honorable about a wise man. An adult male or female that has not grown into maturity, but still laughs at responsibility like an ignorant child, is quite off-putting. When times are challenging and trying, it is better to go into a house that embraces the weight of the times and allows themselves to mourn, than to go into a house that ignores the times and frivolously parties their lives away. When times are sad, it is better to know how to grieve than to cover up grief with obnoxious laughter – for it is through the grief that a sad heart can be made truly glad. The rebuke of a wise person is so much more valuable than the praises of someone who refuses to say what needs to be said. A wise rebuke properly given will lead a person to growth and maturity. If all you do is listen to praise, deserved or not, you will never be challenged to grow. Don’t refuse to grow up by ignoring and laughing over the challenges and trials of life. There is a good that can be found in grief. Embrace the trials and challenges, and come out the other side a more wise and mature disciple of the Lord.

NT: “For even if I grieved you with my letter, I don’t regret it. And if I regretted it — since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a while — I now rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭7:8-10‬ ‭CSB)

This excerpt of 2 Corinthians is a perfect illustration of good grief. The tersely worded letter that Paul sent to the Corinthian church challenged them sharply and brought them grief. It also grieved Paul to have to write the letter. Paul, being a mature man in the faith, did not ignore the challenges of life by laughing them off. He wrote a letter that was painful for him to write, knowing that it would bring pain to those he dearly loved. But it was out of his love for them that he wrote the letter. Love would not just lavish praise when correction was needed. Love would not allow a church to continue descending into sin and away from the life and love of God. The grief that Paul felt was soon turned to joy because the grief that the letter caused was a godly grief… it brought godly conviction, not condemnation. Through that godly “good” grief and conviction, the Corinthian church repented from their sin and were restored to right relationship with God and with Paul.

Prayer: Lord, Your word teaches, that though there are times to laugh and celebrate, there are also times to grieve and mourn. Both are needed. It can be tempting to live my life in constant, never-ending positivity and ignore the sad and challenging things of life, but there is much wisdom and maturity to be found in the sad and challenging things of life. Help me to fully embrace everything you call me to walk through, that through Your grace the good and bad times will mold me and mature me into completion. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.” (‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5:18-20‬ ‭CSB)

Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon stated his conclusion that one of the few good things that can be found in this brief life on earth is to truly enjoy the blessings of the Lord and the fruits of our labor. Solomon stated that sentiment here in the 5th chapter, after acknowledging that the pursuit of riches and material goods does not bring true joy and satisfaction – and is in fact an exercise in futility. The love of money and worldly possessions is empty and meaningless.

Earlier in Solomon’s life, he wrote, “The Lord’s blessing enriches, and He adds no painful effort, hardship or sorrow to it (Proverbs 10:22).” Solomon practically echoed those thoughts here by writing that when God blesses someone, He allows them to enjoy the blessings and rejoice in the results of their faithful labor. When our hearts are occupied first and foremost with the word, will and ways of the Lord, we won’t waste our time pursuing the empty and meaningless secondary things of the world. The only way to find true joy and lasting satisfaction is to occupy our hearts with the things that God our Lord has given us to do – and in doing the things He gives us, we will be richly blessed by the Lord and will be able to lay our heads down every night in comfort and satisfaction.

NT: “In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, and not only by his arrival but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭7:5-7‬ ‭CSB)

Near the beginning of this letter to the Corinthian Church, Paul wrote of how he sent Titus to Corinth with a sharply-worded and painful letter. He then wrote of how we went to Troas in order to meet up with Titus and get a report of how the letter was received. When Titus failed to show up in Troas, Paul was deeply concerned and wasn’t even able to minister. He then left Troas for Macedonia, greatly troubled. Paul then picked up the story where he left off here in Chapter 7. When he and his travel companions reached Macedonia, they were troubled in every way – but then Titus arrived and everything changed. Paul went from downcast and troubled to comforted and rejoicing. What was it that brought Paul so much joy? Titus brought word that the Corinthian church had repented of their actions and were willing to be reconciled and restored to Paul. Paul didn’t find joy and satisfaction in riches or his accomplishments. He found joy and satisfaction in knowing that God’s kingdom would continue to flourish in Corinth and that the people he thought were lost would now be reconciled and restored. Walking in obedience to God’s call was challenging, but as Paul kept himself occupied with the things of God, Paul’s efforts in the Lord brought great fruitfulness, true joy and lasting satisfaction.

Prayer: Lord, Your word teaches that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6). It also teaches that if I take my delight in You, then You will give me the things that my heart truly desires (Psalm 37:4). Lord, help me to not allow myself to become preoccupied with the secondary things of this world that do not satisfy. Help me instead, by Your grace, to remain occupied with what You have given me to do, day by day and moment by moment. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:9-12‬ ‭CSB)

“No man is an island” is a famous line written by John Donne in 1623. Long before John Donne, Solomon shared the same sentiments in these verses from Ecclesiastes. After years of living as the smartest, wisest, richest and most powerful person he was aware of – Solomon came to the conclusion that individualism is meaningless and futile. If you do everything by yourself and on your own, in the end, you have no one to share your life with or celebrate your successes with… all that you do, accomplish or experience on your own is meaningless. No matter how smart or wise or strong or skilled you are, no one of us is as smart, wise, strong or skilled as all of us.

Long before Solomon came to his conclusions on individualism, God stated, “It is not good for the man to be alone (Genesis 2:18a)” Even though Adam had all of the animals in the garden to keep him company – and even had the privilege of walking in the garden with God – Adam needed companionship. Adam needed someone parallel to him – not just someone above him or beneath him – someone equal in status to partner with and walk life out with side-by-side. There are many in the body of Christ that say things like, “It’s just me and God… that’s all I need… Jesus is all I need to be happy and fulfilled.” Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that God has all you need, we need human partners in our lives – and often times, God gets what we need to us through our partners.

NT: “Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you… So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:14-17, 7:1 ‭CSB)

The Greek word translated here as ‘yoked’ actually means unequally yoked. The Greek word is heterozygeo. It is a compound word formed from heteros (not the same nature) and zygos (yoke). The word partnership has to do with an intimate communion and sharing of life. Paul is not saying that we can not have unbelieving friends or acquaintances. For in fact, Jesus taught us to be neighborly to all people. Paul is talking about people that you intimately walk out life with, side-by-side. That would include a spouse, a business partner,  or an intimate friend. As we have already seen, God has said that it is not good for people to be alone… they need to walk life out in intimate fellowship with someone who is parallel to them – who has the same nature, the same convictions, the same values, the same priorities. When we come to faith in Christ, we are given a new nature – the nature of Christ by His Spirit. It is impossible for us to be holy as Christ is holy, and still intimately fellowship with someone who is bound in a sinful, unredeemed nature.

A yoke is an inseparable bond that forces the two people in the yoke to walk in lockstep with each other. Christ called us as His followers to yoke up with Him in an inseparable bond – where we abide in Him and His words abide in us – where we become the temple of God, the spiritual dwelling place of the Lord here on earth. Then, in our need for true and intimate companionship, we are called to yoke-up with others who have the same Christ nature dwelling in them, so that we can all walk in lockstep together under the word, will and ways of the Father. Do we have relationships with unbelievers? Yes! We are called to minister and love unbelievers unconditionally – but we do that as we remain holy in Christ and are encouraged and stirred up by those we are yoked to in Christ.

Proverbs: “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence and his children have a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14:26-27‬ ‭CSB)

The Apostle Paul wrote that we are to live our lives out – our relationships, our priorities, our activities – in holiness… and our holiness is brought to completion under the fear of the Lord. As we do all under the fear of the Lord – that means living in faith and completely submitted to the word, will and ways of the Lord – we will be filled with the fountain of life (the Holy Spirit) and will be led away from the snares that lead to death. Snares come in many forms – sometimes in the form of ungodly relationships and attachments. It is under the fear of the Lord that we are able to live in peace and confidence, and our children are protected by the ravages of the world.

Prayer: Lord, my natural inclinations, which are formed by my personality, lead me to prefer doing things on my own and trusting in my talents and intuition. However strong my personality may be, You have not created me to do things alone. You have called me to live, not according to my natural inclinations, but according to my new nature in Christ. You have called me to live my life in intimate partnership with other believers, remaining properly aligned in the Body of Christ, with leaders over me, partners beside me, and disciples under me. So I say no to my natural inclinations and say yes to yoking up with You, Your word, Your will, Your ways and Your people. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his struggles? I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him.” (‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1-14‬ ‭CSB)

When you remove God from the equation, life can (and often does) seem completely meaningless. One thing that contributes to that perception is the monotony of time – day to day, month to month, year after year, the same repetitive meaningless cycle, over and over again, ad nauseam. However, when you acknowledge God and add Him to the equation, the seasons and cycles of time have purpose and meaning. God, in His providence, has assigned a designated time for everything, and in the context of purpose, everything can be appropriately beautiful in its time. Even challenging and distressful times, when framed within God-ordained purpose, can be counted as joy (James 1:2-4).

Divorced from God, this time in which we are alive on earth can seem quite empty and futile: you live, then you die and cease to exist – completely empty and meaningless. Yet, with God, eternity is placed in our hearts – then suddenly our scratch of existence has eternal ramifications. “What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived — God has prepared these things for those who love him” (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭CSB). In this life, according to Solomon, there is nothing better than to be able to enjoy this life that we have been given. To truly enjoy all (the good and the bad, the happy and sad) that this life affords is a gift from God and is only possible when our lives are surrendered to His purposes. And by making life meaningful and truly enjoyable, God is glorified by all.

NT: “We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed. Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God; through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, through glory and dishonor, through slander and good report; regarded as deceivers, yet true; as unknown, yet recognized; as dying, yet see — we live; as being disciplined, yet not killed; as grieving, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:3-10‬ ‭CSB)

Followers of Jesus Christ are always on trial – by the devil who is the accuser of God and God’s people, and by individuals in the world who are looking for every reason to deny and reject the claims of the gospel. One of the greatest obstacles to the kingdom of God are people who claim to be Christians, yet fall short in demonstrating the validity of the gospel by failing to diffuse the glory of God and the fruit of the Spirit when under pressure and scrutiny. Paul knew the ramifications of allowing his life to come under reproach, so, by the grace of God, he made every effort to not do anything that would bring offense to people and sully the ministry that God had given Him. Instead, he would allow every season and every experience to testify to the goodness of God and the veracity of the gospel.

Since the time Paul had placed his faith in Christ and was called by the Lord into ministry, he had suffered afflictions (trials under pressure), hardships (everyday hardships of life), and difficulties (desperate situations with no apparent escape). He had been beaten, imprisoned, and nearly pulled apart in riots. He had been worked to the point of weariness, suffered many a sleepless night, and gone without food – all for the sake of the gospel and the ministry he had been entrusted with. Through all of that, Paul was not crushed nor destroyed – but instead, in Christ, He greatly endured. When pushed into a corner and hard-pressed on every side, what was evidenced in Paul’s life by the grace of God and the work of the Spirit was purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, sincere love, the truth of the gospel and the power of God. Paul knew that God, in His providence, had a purpose for every season. Though Paul’s life was hard, he knew that God could make everything beautiful in its time. Paul, through the faithfulness of God, was able to embrace every time in his life – the good and the bad – and come through standing. Though Paul was accused of being a deceiver, he was proven to be truthful. Though he had no glowing credentials or touted reputation, he had the audience of kings. Though there were times when he should have been killed, he was still alive and moving forward, Though he experienced much grief, he was always able to rejoice. Though he had little material wealth to his name, Paul was able to enrich many. Though he had nothing, in Christ, he had everything. Through Paul’s faith in Christ and the eternity God had placed in his heart, everything in Paul’s life was made beautiful in its time… all to the glory of God.

Prayer: Lord, there are definitely times when life seems monotonous, mundane and meaningless, but Your word teaches that every aspect of life can be full of meaning and purpose when submitted to You. Help me, by Your grace and the leading of Your Holy Spirit, to view every moment with an eternal perspective and go into each day with Your purposes in mind. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem. “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.” What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?” (‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭CSB)

The authorship of the book of Ecclesiastes is widely and traditionally attributed to King Solomon. It was written near the end of his life. To understand Ecclesiastes, it helps to be familiar with King Solomon’s life. King Solomon’s reign succeeded the reign of King David. His kingship over the united kingdom of Israel began well. His father, King David had been successful in defeating all of Israel’s enemies and ushered in an era of peace and abundance. Solomon’s heart was humble and submitted wholly to God. When God told Solomon to ask Him for whatever he wanted, Solomon humbly asked for wisdom to lead the nation righteously and justly. Because Solomon did not ask for wealth and power, God honored Solomon’s request and gave him wisdom, and also said He would give Solomon wealth and power as well. By God’s grace and blessing, Solomon became the wisest, wealthiest, most powerful, and most renowned ruler of his time. In time, however, Solomon drifted away from his devotion to the Lord. The worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choked out the word that had been implanted in his heart. Instead of pursuing God, Solomon gave himself over to hedonism and the pursuit of worldly pleasures. Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon after years and years of chasing after meaning and pleasure in the things of this world.

The conclusion that Solomon came to after trying to find purpose in life “under the sun” is that everything is futile. The Hebrew word translated as futile means completely empty and vain – vanishing away into nothingness, like vapor. Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and philosopher once said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” When Solomon ceased pursuing the Lord and His purposes, his life became empty, and he tried filling the emptiness in his soul with the emptiness of this world. No matter how hard he tried, his emptiness could not be filled and all of his efforts under the sun were completely futile.

NT: “Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” For he says: At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:1-2‬ ‭CSB)

One thing that is not empty and futile is the grace of God. The grace of God is full of life, power, meaning and purpose. It is the grace of God from above that we receive by faith in Christ that can fill up our emptiness and give our life meaning and purpose under the sun. As Blaise Pascal suggested, nothing from this world can satisfy the void in our soul, but grace from God through Christ can. And God’s grace through Jesus has been freely offered to anyone who believes the message of the gospel and puts their faith in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Though the grace of God is anything but empty and futile, we can make Christ’s work for us in vain by rejecting the gospel and refusing His grace. God the Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ want your life to have eternal significance, purpose and meaning – so They, along with the redeemed saints in the Lord, plead with you to not make God’s grace a vain thing. Salvation from sin and salvation from an empty and meaningless life is offered to you now. You don’t have to wait. You can be saved from sin and given abundant eternal life by repenting of your sin and empty works and placing your faith in Jesus Christ.

Psalms: “Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth. He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; he sets wagons ablaze. “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46:8-11‬ ‭CSB)

God is our refuge. God is our strength. God is our never-ending abundant source of life. He is our Creator, and our lives only have meaning and purpose when stop pursuing our own ways and submit fully to His word, will and ways. To find peace, joy, satisfaction, meaning and purpose, stop your vain efforts under the sun. As the Lord said through the psalmist, “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

Prayer: Lord, here on earth in this life under the sun, there are so many empty things that claim to bring happiness, satisfaction, significance and meaning. However, Your word teaches that true happiness, satisfaction, eternal significance and meaning will only fill my life when I choose to live my life under the Son. I don’t want Your grace to be offered to me in vain, so I fully submit my life to You as my Lord and King. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:16-21‬ ‭CSB)

As we place our faith fully in the gospel message and allow the Lord to transform us by His grace through the Holy Spirit, our perspective on everything (especially other people) should change. As we allow the love of Christ to truly compel us, we should begin to view people from Christ’s perspective and no longer from the world’s perspective. As we are made new in Christ, people are no longer rich or poor, privileged or unprivileged, male or female, educated or non-educated, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Arabic, etc. People are either redeemed and reconciled through faith in Christ Jesus, or they are lost people who desperately need to be redeemed and reconciled to God. The redeemed and reconciled people are the ones with the responsibility of sharing the message of reconciliation with the rest of the world. As we are in Christ, God has committed the message of reconciliation to us. What an honor and privilege!

Reconciliation is such a hot topic in the world today. Many people talk about it and have their various opinions on how to accomplish it. Governments wrestle with what their role is in the reconciliation process, and politicians try to develop laws and policies to move people toward reconciliation. True reconciliation, however, cannot happen by mandate. True reconciliation among people will only truly happen once people are first made new in Christ and reconciled to God. Then, by the transforming power of God by the Holy Spirit, they can be reconciled to one another. The world needs… actually the world is desperate for the message that we carry: to be reconciled to God. The question is: are we viewing people the way the world views them or the way that Christ views them – and if we are viewing them with Christ’s perspective, are we allowing God to make His appeal to them through us to be reconciled to God?

Psalms: “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah There is a river — its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46:1-7‬ ‭CSB)

Some Biblical scholars believe that this psalm may have been written during the rule of King Hezekiah, when Jerusalem was under siege by Assyria. It was an incredibly troubling time for the people of Judah – and especially for King Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The world around them was shaking and falling apart as city by city, nation by nation fell to Assyria’s power. And Assyria was at their front door, threatening to destroy them as well. In the midst of all that turmoil, the psalmist had a different perspective that brought peace. God is our refuge, our shelter from danger. God is our strength and might. He is our always-present helper in times of distress. Therefore, there is no reason – even though the world around us is falling apart – to be afraid. Selah… pause, take a deep breath, meditate on that truth and allow it to affect your heart and mind.

Jerusalem was not built on the banks of a river – it had no ready access to water. Thankfully, Hezekiah had completed a project that constructed an underground aqueduct from an outside water source into the inner confines of the city. Though Jerusalem was under siege, they had access to water that bubbled up within the city. In the same way, when we place our faith in Christ, rivers of living water will bubble up within us as well (John 7:38). Though we may live in dry times, we never have to worry about dying of thirst or drying out; for as we are in Christ by faith, He dwells within us and His Spirit flows within us, giving us life and peace. Though people around us burn with anger and hatred, though nations rage against each other, though political parties rise and fall, we can be at peace for the Lord God is with us and His life flows within us. Selah… pause, take a deep breath, meditate on that truth and allow that new perspective to bring peace to your heart and mind.

Prayer: Lord, what an incredible privilege You have entrusted me with: being Your ambassador on the earth and communicating Your message of reconciliation to all who will hear. In all of that, help me by Your Spirit to always see people and situations with Your perspective, and respond to people and situations the way that You respond. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences… For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:11, 13-15‬ ‭CSB)

Paul mentioned two forces in our lives as blood-bought believers that motivates us to actively participate in the Lord’s mission: fear and love. Because all believers will one day stand before the judgement seat of Christ to give account for their life as His servants, there is a reverence and Godly fear that motivates us to do what our Master has charged us to do. Good servants do precisely what their Lord and master directs them to do. Oftentimes, the ways of the Lord are contrary to the ways of the world. The Kingdom of God is frequently referred to as an “upside-down kingdom.” In actuality, the Kingdom of God is right-side up and the world is upside-down – but regardless – in the eyes of the world, a person following the directives of the Lord God will seem out of their mind. Therefore, redeemed believers and disciples of Christ do not do anything for the approval of the world. They do not fear man, for the fear of man is a snare (Proverbs 29:25). They seek only the approval of their Lord and Master and fear only the Lord – willing to look like fools for the sake of Christ.

Not only are we motivated by fear and respect for God, Paul also explained that we are compelled by the love of Christ. The Greek word for compel means to press on each side and move forward in a desired direction – much like a cattle chute that keeps a cow from going to the left or right and moves them in the direction of where they need to go. That is what the love of Christ does for us. The love of Christ is firstly the love that Christ demonstrated to us by giving His life for us. Secondly, the love of Christ is the love that we have for Christ in response to His love for us. Thirdly, the love of Christ is the love that Christ manifests in and through us by the Holy Spirit to others. That love compels us – it holds us together and also presses us forward to do what we would otherwise not want to do. Because Christ died for us that we might live in and through Him, the love of Christ compels us to die to our sinful past… die to the ways of the world… die to our own will so that all men and women would find life through the message of Christ that we declare and demonstrate to the world.

Psalms: “Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider: Forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord. The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people, will seek your favor with gifts. In her chamber, the royal daughter is all glorious, her clothing embroidered with gold. In colorful garments she is led to the king; after her, the virgins, her companions, are brought to you. They are led in with gladness and rejoicing; they enter the king’s palace.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭45:10-15‬ ‭CSB)

The first part of Psalm 45 praised the Bridegroom-King. These verses speak to the bride and describe her process of preparing for the wedding. The Bridegroom-King is Jesus Christ, and the bride is the church. Here the bride is encouraged to forget the past in order to fully embrace her future with the King. That is exactly what the love of Christ compels us to do: forget what is behind and reach forward to what is ahead – to fully pursue the Lord our Bridegroom and His call (Philippians 3:13b-14). As we allow the love of Christ to compel us outward and upward, we too will be clothed with glory and will one day enter the King’s palace prepared for us.

Prayer: Lord, my desire is to be fully pleasing to You and to faithfully do all that You have asked me to do. Help me to not fear mankind more than I fear You. Help me to not seek the approval of the world, but to seek Your approval first and foremost. Out of love for You and the love You have given me for others, I forget the past, lay aside my own will, and reach for the things You have called me to by Your grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands… Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:1, 5-10‬ ‭CSB)

Before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples (and us) that He was going to prepare a place for His followers – His church – and that by going to prepare a place, He would surely return to claim us and take us to our new home (John 14:1-3). By faith, Paul spoke of that new place, which is an eternal dwelling in the heavenly realm. The body that we inhabit now is merely a temporary tent. The place that Christ has prepared for us is our forever and permanent home. Usually, when you build a house, you pay earnest money to the builder as a deposit to both secure the house, and to also show the builder that you are serious about the house. Christ the builder, however, has paid “earnest money” to us as a guarantee. That earnest money guarantee is the Holy Spirit. Those who are in Christ can know, not only by faith but also by the guarantee of the Holy Spirit, that there is a place for us beyond this life. So then – if that truly is the case, what power does death actually have over us?

Because we know that Christ has gone to prepare a place for us, and because we know that He will come again to gather us up, take us to our new home, and present us to God our Father; we make it our aim… we strive earnestly… we make it our life’s ambition to be pleasing to Him. Though our forever home is guaranteed, we must all appear before Christ’s judgement seat before we receive our eternal reward. While on earth, Jesus taught that those who are faithful in little will be given charge over much, but those who are not faithful in little will lose even the little that they have. Before we receive the place prepared for us, Christ will judge us based on how well we stewarded our temporary life on earth. Those who did well will receive their full reward, and those who did not do well will not receive their full reward (Matthew 25:19-29). Therefore, like Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Psalms: “My heart is moved by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. You are the most handsome of men; grace flows from your lips. Therefore God has blessed you forever. Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side. In your majesty and splendor — in your splendor ride triumphantly in the cause of truth, humility, and justice. May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts. Your sharpened arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you. Your throne, God, is forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭45:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

The description of Psalm 45 in the CSB version of the Bible is “A Royal Wedding Song.” The introduction to the psalm describes it as a love song. While this psalm was undoubtedly written for a King of Israel (possibly Solomon) on his wedding day, the fact that it was included in the book of Psalms indicates that the sons of Korah had more on their mind that just writing a love song. In fact, Hebrews 1:8-9 quoted this psalm and explained that it was written about Christ. The sons of Korah referred to the King both as a man and as God. Only one person in all of history fits that description: Jesus Christ.

The language that Jesus used in John 14:1-3, when He spoke of going to prepare a place, was wedding language in that day. In that day, a bridegroom would become betrothed to his bride, and would then go off to build a house (often an annex added on to his father’s house) for he and his bride to live and start their family together. Once the house was ready, the bridegroom would return to claim his bride, and then proudly and lovingly present his new bride to his father. Ultimately, in this psalm, the Bridegroom-King is Christ and the bride is the Church.

I imagine as the Levite son of Korah sat down to write this psalm in honor of the royal wedding, the Holy Spirit moved on his heart and gave him a prophetic vision of the Royal Wedding-to-Come. As his heart was flooded with vision of prophetic fulfillment, His tongue burst forth with praise for the Heavenly Bridegroom as his pen wrote down these words. People of God, followers of Christ – these words describe your King, your Bridegroom who has gone to prepare a place for you and will surely come again to claim you as His own. It is this King – the Mighty Warrior, full of grace, humility and peace, and committed to justice – that we will spend eternity with, serving and ruling forever at His side.

Prayer: Lord, what a glorious future You have prepared for me! My desire, my aim, my life’s ambition is to live in a way that is pleasing to you – that on that day when You return, I will hear You say to me, “Well done good and faithful servant. Enter fully into the place that I have prepared for you.” Help me through your Holy Spirit to live this life faithfully in Your service with eternity with You in mind. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believed, and therefore speak. For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:13-18‬ ‭CSB)

A mark of maturity is the ability to delay gratification and keep long-term commitments. An infant has no understanding of waiting. When they are hungry, they demand to be fed and have no capacity to be patient. When a child enters the “terrible twos,” part of the terrible that comes with that stage in life is an increased self-awareness and self-will without the ability to wait for what they want – so they throw a fit when their wants are not gratified immediately. Delayed gratification and the ability to commit to something long-term must be taught and developed over time – and it requires a certain level of faith in something that you hope for, but can’t see just yet.

In Hebrews chapter 11, the writer listed numbers of men and women who, over the course of history, endured much trial, tribulation and persecution for a reward that they never got to see in their physical life. Talk about delayed gratification! How were they able to endure so much for so long? Faith. Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the reality or assurance of what is hoped for, the proof or conviction of what is not seen.” The Bible describes an entire spiritual universe, of which we are a part, that is unseen – and that universe, though unseen, is more real that what we can see with our eyes. The way that we as believers are able to see and believe in the unseen is by faith. An immature believer who is weak in faith, only has the capacity to see and understand the here and now physical world – but as a believer in the Lord grows in maturity and faith, they are able to see beyond life here and now to the eternal life to come. That is partly what Christ referred to when He taught His followers to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. At this point, the Kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom – but it will become a physical kingdom in the unseen and eternal age to come. We are called to seek it nonetheless, by faith.

How was Paul able to endure so much hardship and physical affliction? How was he able to commit the rest of his life, no matter the challenge, to seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness? Mature faith. By faith, Paul knew (and we can know) that the Lord would raise him up on that last day so spend eternity with Christ. By faith, Paul expected (and we can expect) that God would work all things that occurred by following His will for Paul’s good. By faith, Paul could (and we can) look beyond the present sufferings of this world to an eternal reward. Paul’s eyes were on the prize – the crown of glory at the end of the race – and he was willing to endure all to claim the prize. Compared to the weight of the glory he would received, his current hardships and sometimes torturous afflictions seemed light. We don’t suffer for suffering’s sake and expect our suffering to turn into glory – but if in the course of pursuing the Lord’s word, will and ways we experience suffering – that suffering has an eternal payoff. We don’t cast off and reject the temporary things of this world – but with faith’s perspective, we don’t seek first the things of this world, but use them with an eternal purpose in mind. That is a mark of spiritual maturity.

Prayer: Lord, by faith, I believe that in You, there is far more ahead of me than what this present physical life can afford. Help me, as You lead me from glory to glory, to not become enamored by the temporary things of this world, but to be willing to endure all that this world throws at me as I follow You, seek first Your kingdom and pursue Your righteousness… all for the weight of glory that is to come. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.