Bible Chapter: Ecclesiastes 5 & 6

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Here is some very good advice.  Come to God’s house with reverence and respect. Don’t think it is a casual thing to come to God.  Worship God because He is so worthy.  Tied in with this advice is something that is important for both being in God’s presence and life in general: keep your ears open and your mouth shut. That seems so hard for people to do.  It seems more fun to talk and make others listen to our volumes of wisdom.  Someone said: God gave us two ears and one mouth.  He must expect us to listen twice as much as we talk.  An interesting thought.
    I love the insight given about money.  If you love it, you will never have enough.  It is a joke to think that simply having lots of money will really bring your happiness.  And then there is this amazing perception.  The more money you have the more people will come to help you spend it.  You will only watch it slip through your fingers.
    Some people work hard to accumulate things and then they don’t live long enough to enjoy them.  Someone else gets that pleasure.  But, even living a long life doesn’t guarantee a satisfied life.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    Throughout this book we see the contradictions between what is commonly believed by many that the accumulation of things will make life worthwhile with the revelation of God’s Word that life really is about eternity and knowing God.  There is always something that appears desirable.  Will that one more ______________ (fill in the blank) really make me happy?  I need to be continually aware that the issues of life that matter are related to God.  This issues of family and doing what pleases God are what matter.

3.  How can I help someone?
    God made us eternal beings.  He made us with a desire for the best (by the way, the best is God).  He wants to give us understanding about what is really valuable and what will last.  Let God work in your heart to grasp His eternal truths.