Refreshing

Daily
in Gods Word
Emphasis on

Ecclesiastes
 Vanity ~ Life is Repetition
May 1

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 2 - Vanity of vanities, saith the
Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity."
Key Words: all is vanity

The word vanity is used 28 times by Solomon in the

book of Ecclesiastes. The word means emptiness. As you
read in verses 4 11, you see that Solomon says that life is
nothing but an endless circle. For example, he says one
generation passes, another comes up and goes down so it can
come up again. The wind blows toward the south and runs
toward the north and repeats the cycle all over again. Its all
vanity!!
Have you ever felt that way? You get up in the
morning, you drink your morning drink, you get dressed, go
to work, come home, go to bed, only to do it all over again the
next day. Solomon says life is nothing but a vain repetition.
At Disney World there is a ride that I took my children
on. If you've ever been to Disney World, you've probably
taken your children on it too. Its called Its a Small World
After All. I remember well when I took my children on this
ride because we rode around and around and around. On this
ride you go through different cultures and see different
children, dressed in different ways, singing the same song.
Its a small world after all, its a small world after all, its a
small, small world.
The first time around it was okay; the second time
around it was tolerable. The third time around it got on my
nerves. The fourth time around I wanted to jump in the water
and swim back, because that small world being sung by those
small people was really getting on my nerves.
Life can be that sometimes. It can seem like a small
world. Sometimes it can feel like you cant break out and see
some things happen and unfold like you think things ought to.
Many of us are living lives of want lives of
dissatisfaction. We want more and the worlds too small.
Every time we think weve found the thing we want, up pops a
temporary sign to let us know it wont be around that long.
There is one expectation after another, one disappointment
after another, one strain and struggle after another, and we
are just not satisfied. We soon discover when weve lived long
enough, that there is no friendship, championship,
scholarship, relationship, ownership, or fellowship that can
fully satisfy our wants.
Life is full of repetition and it will seem to become all
vanity unless our attitude toward repetition changes.
We should not just see life as repetitive monotony but
opportunities to correct what we messed up yesterday!!

What to do:
Correct what you messed up yesterday!!

********************

Philosophy
May 2

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

Key Verse: Verse 14 I have seen all the works that
are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and
vexation of spirit."
Key Words: all is vanity and vexation of spirit

Philosophy is a zeal for wisdom in the field of arts and

science. Many try to intermingle divine wisdom with human
wisdom. This leads to nothing but vanity (emptiness).
You cannot take natural man man who is a lost
sinner alienated from God and give him an education,
expecting that education to solve the problems of his life. It
will not do that. Philosophy and psychology cannot change
human nature, nor can they correct the old nature of man.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But I dont like
apples. They tell me apples are very nutritious. I just dont
like them except when I go to the Fair. At the fair, I get
candied apples. They take the apple and they dip it in liquid
sugar. Then, me and apples, we are all right. The problem is
that the way the apples have been prepared, the nutritional
value has been destroyed. By mixing the apples with the
sugar, things are now kind of messed up. The apples will hurt
me now, not help me. When you mix human wisdom with
divine wisdom, you cancel divine wisdom. All you have is
human wisdom. Thats what the Bible calls being double-
minded being secular and sacred at the same time.
Thats what Solomon attempted to do and thats why
he felt that increased knowledge also increased ones sorrow
(verse 18).

What to do:
Let human wisdom go but hang on to the divine
wisdom.

********************

Pleasure
May 3

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 1 " I said in mine heart, Go to now,
I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure:
and, behold, this also is vanity."
Key Words: enjoy pleasure

Think about all that Solomon had. He had filled his

life with beautiful properties, delicious food, lavish resorts,
personal servants, sexual gratification, costly possessions,
productive farms, lucrative mines, global treasures, and
endless entertainment. But when he stepped back to
consider, he saw the emptiness of it all, and he actually hated
his life: Therefore I hated lifefor all is vanity and vexation
of spirit (Ecclesiastes 2:17).
 J. Vernon McGee tells how he and Mrs. McGee were
attending a Bible conference.
In the evenings after a service we need to get away
from everyone for a while, and one of the things we like to do
is just go walking through a shopping area. I have said to her,
'Would you like to be able to buy everything that you see and
want? She answered that she wondered how it would feel to
be able to do that. Well, Solomon did just that. Anything his
little heart desired, he bought. As he looked out upon this
world, there was nothing that it withheld from him.
You would think that all men in that position would
be happy. Well, I dont know why, but they are not. I am told
that we have more suicides here in Southern California than
the average for the country. One would think it would be the
bums on skid row, the down-and-outers, who would be the
ones to commit suicide. Life certainly wouldnt seem to be
worth much to them. Actually, those are not the ones with the
high suicide rate. It is the rich, the famous, the Hollywood
movie and television stars, the folk who seem to have made it.
They are the ones who commit suicide. Why? They have
come to the same conclusion that Solomon did. He had tried
everything in the way of pleasure and concluded: Then I
looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on
the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was
vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under
the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

What to do:
Remember that pleasure is but for a season, then it
becomes displeasure (Hebrews 11:25).

Is Life Meaningless?
 May 4

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

Key Verse: 17 Therefore I hated life; because the
work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto
me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit."
Key Words: Therefore I hated life

Solomon is comparing the wise man with the foolish

man. He reaches the conclusion that wisdom is better than
folly (verse 13). He also concludes that the wise man uses
both his head (brain) and his eyes. He thinks and sees
correctly. But the fools thinking and sight are all wrong
(verse 14). But he reaches another conclusion in verse 16 that
they both (the wise and the foolish) die and neither of them
are remembered anymore. As a result he says, I hated life
(verse 17).
Sometimes we become discouraged with life and ask
ourselves, Does life have any new meaning?
The mythical story is told of Tantalus, a king who had
been found guilty of giving the secrets of the Greek gods to
mortal men. His punishment was to be placed in the river
called Hades. The water came up to his chin. Hanging and
dangling over his head were branches of voluptuous fruit. The
punishment, however, was this. Every time Tantalus got
thirsty and lowered his chin to drink water, the water would
recede. Every time Tantalus reached out to grab a piece of
fruit, the branch would rise. So the refreshment for his thirst
was right there at chin level. Food for his stomach was right
above his head. But the harder he tried, the less he got. The
punishment for his crime was to be in the vicinity of a blessing
and not be able to get it.
The point is simply if you reach out for fulfillment in
the things of this life, you'll discover that it's just out of your
reach. For nothing in life was designed to give you fulfillment
except God. Everything else is but a cheap imitation. The
things in life that many of us cling to most for meaning, zip,
and purpose must continually be hoarded because they so
quickly elude us. The only lasting satisfaction in this life can
be found in our relationship with God.
So the answer to, Does life have any new meaning?
is yes! When you make life about Jesus and others rather
than yourself, your life is not meaningless.

What to do:
Live your life, not so you will be remembered, but so
Jesus will be remembered.

********************

Things
May 5

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 2:18-26

Key Verse: Verse 19 And who knoweth whether he
shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule
over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and
wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun.
This is also vanity."
Key Words: yet shall he have rule over all my
labor

I have to go off and leave all of this someday. Have

you ever stopped to think about that? What good is it going to
do you? Oh, how many folk have worked all their lives to
accumulate a little of this world's goods, then they leave it to
some godless relative. Some folk intend to leave it to a
Christian organization so that their money can propagate the
Gospel after they are gone, but have you ever stopped to think
how many Christian organizations have become apostate and
have departed from teaching the Word of God?
For example, Mr. John Harvard, who founded
Harvard University, was a fundamental believer, and he left
his money to propagate the fundamental Christian faith.
Today you wouldn't find fundamental faith within ten yards of
Harvard. They have departed from the faith. The money
which Mr. Harvard left has come to be used for the very
opposite of what he intended.
People today leave money to so-called Christian
organizations, but they have no assurance that the
organizations will remain true to the faith.
We know that Solomon faced this same kind of
problem, and 1 Kings 12 tells us what happened. He left the
kingdom to his son, and it was his son's foolish arrogance that
divided the kingdom. What a tragedy that was.
There is nothing wrong with possessions but life is not
about gain; its about God

What to do:
To keep from thinking life is full of vanity, focus on
God and not gain.

********************

A Time For Everything

May 6

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 1 To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"
Key Words: To every thing there is a season, and a
time

We read in Ecclesiastes 3:1, To everything there is a

season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. If you
were to read Ecclesiastes 3:2-8, you would read a list of
twenty-eight things which have a time. Everything has a
time. Yes, even to God promptness is important. We read in
Ephesians 5:16, Redeeming the time, because the days are
evil.

One of our members sent me the following in regard to

punctuality.
 1. I could never think well of a mans intellectual or
moral character if he was habitually unfaithful to his
appointments. (Emnons)
2. Method is the very hinge of business; and there is no
method without punctuality.
3. Appointments once made, become debts. If I have
made an appointment with you, I owe you punctuality;
I have no right to throw away your time, if I do my
own. (Cecil)
4. I have always been a quarter of an hour before my
time, and it has made a man of me. (Lord Nelson)
5. Want of punctuality is a want of virtue. (J. M. Mason)
6. I give it as my deliberate and solemn conviction that
the individual who is habitually tardy in meeting an
appointment, will never be respected or successful in
life. (W. Fisk)
7. Every child should be taught (Proverbs 22:6) to pay all
his debts, and to fulfill all his contracts, exactly in
manner, completely in value, punctually at the time
specified. Everything he has borrowed, he should be
obliged to return.

William Shakespeare said, Better to be three hours

early than one minute late. Ones promptness does affect his
testimony.
An airline pilot flying over the southeastern U. S.
called the local tower and said, We are passing over at
35,000 give us a time check. The tower said What airline
are you? What difference does it make? I just want the
time, replied the pilot. The tower responded, Oh, it makes a
lot of difference. If you are TransWorld Airline or Pan Am, it
is 1600. If you are United or Delta, it is 4 oclock. If you are
Southern Airways, the little hand is on the 4 and the big hand
is on the 12. If you are Skyway Airlines its Thursday.

What to do:
Be prompt it is important.
 ********************

What Am I Accomplishing?
May 7

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

Key Verse: Verse 9 What profit hath he that
worketh in that wherein he laboureth?"
Key Words: What profit hath he

Solomon asked the question in verse nine about what

man is really accomplishing in his labor, indicating that there
really is no profit. Thats interesting because this same
Solomon says in Proverbs 14:23a, In all labor there is profit.
But now in his old age he has become cynical and wonders
what he has accomplished.
In verse ten he says, Life is full of travail. The word
travail means task. Life is full of one task after another.
In verse eleven he says, Life is full of a lack of
understanding.
Then in verses twelve and thirteen, he says, Enjoy life,
do good!! I hear a lot of messages on do good, as well we
should. The problem is that most of the do-gooders that cry
out do good, dont!!
There is a segment on television called Waters World.
Waters is a television newsman who goes out and asks the
public questions about life. For example, he recently asked
one man, Are you having any accomplishments in life? The
man replied, Absolutely, I am. Waters then asked, Name
some of your accomplishments. After a few seconds of
attempting to think of some of those things he had
accomplished, he came up with this little gem: I voted for
Hillary. Now, that is a great accomplishment!
So let me ask you, What have you accomplished in
this life that is eternal? Something to think about, isnt it?

What to do:
 Go out and accomplish things that are eternal for
the glory of God.

********************

Egos
May 8

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:16-22

Key Verse: Verse 22 Wherefore I perceive that
there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice
in his own works; for that is his portion: for who
shall bring him to see what shall be after him?"
Key Words: a man should rejoice in his own works

Solomon gives two ingredients that should motivate

us.
First, judgment. Ecclesiastes 3:17, I said in mine
heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there
is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Secondly, death. Verses 18-22. The principle is that
you only come this way once so do what you can. But I
caution you to be careful because our efforts often lead us to
being egotistical, self-boasting.
A sightseeing bus was making the rounds through
Washington, D. C., and the driver was pointing out spots of
interest. As they passed the Pentagon building, he mentioned
that it cost taxpayers millions of dollars and that it took a year
and a half to build. While everyone was looking at it, a little
old woman piped up: In Peoria we could have built the same
building for less, and it would have been completed even
sooner than that!
The next sight on the tour was the Justice Department
building. Once again the bus driver said that it cost so many
millions to build and took almost two years to complete.
The woman repeated: In Peoria we would have done
it for less money, and it would have been finished much
sooner.
 The tour finally came to the Washington Monument,
and the driver just passed slowly by without saying a word.
The old woman was curious. Hey, she shouted to the driver,
whats that tall white building back there? The driver
looked out the window, waited a minute and then said,
Search me, lady. It wasnt there yesterday.
It behooves us all to remember that without God we
can do nothing

What to do:
Remember that life is not about you, but all about
Jesus Christ. (See verse 20.)

********************

Quietness or Quantity?
May 9

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:1-6

Key Verse: Verse 6 Better is an handful with
quietness, than both the hands full with travail and
vexation of spirit."
Key Words: Better is an handful with quietness

Much isnt always best. You can read the same

principle in Proverbs 17:1, Better is a dry morsel and
quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with
strife.
Some years ago we (my wife and I) decided to get an
aquarium. So as we went about getting the fish for the
aquarium, we came across a beautiful fish, flowing fins, a
greenish-blue fish. It was beautiful. So we put the aquarium
up, got it all ready, and one by one we put the fish in. Even
though we didnt get the beautiful greenish-blue fish, we
couldnt forget about it and its beauty. So a week after
purchasing the other fish, we went and purchased the
beautiful fish, thinking it would be a great addition for our
aquarium.
The next morning we noticed that one of our goldfish
had died, and the next morning another, and then another.
So we asked an expert in aquariums and fish to come check
ours out. Evidently we were doing something wrong. Well,
when he arrived and saw our beautiful fish, he immediately
said, There is your problem! This fish is a Beta. Its a fighter.
It attacks other fish. There will never be peace in the
aquarium until you get rid of the Beta.
He was right. After we took the Beta out of the
aquarium, instantly the other fish were at ease.
Oftentimes in life we think more is better which may
not be the case. We are far better off with just a handful with
quietness than much with strife and division.

What to do:
Its not the quantity of things that are important; its
the quality.

********************

Who Is He?
May 10

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:7-16

Key Verse: Verse 16 - There is no end of all the
people, even of all that have been before them: they
also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely
this also is vanity and vexation of spirit."
Key Words: shall not rejoice in him

Who will remember you? Who will recognize your

name or your accomplishments after you are gone? The truth
is very few, if any, will say, Oh yes! Ive heard of them!
Thats what Solomon says. People come and people
go, there is no end to their coming and their going; and
nobody rejoices in them, because nobody has ever heard of
them.
The other day I was talking with some youth and asked
them how many of them had heard of Mickey Mantle, Roger
Maris, or Yogi Berra. The all just stared at me until finally one
asked if they were people that they should know.
Jaime O'Neil, a college professor, taught for more than
twenty years. While teaching in the state of Washington he
became very concerned that too many students knew too
many things that just aint so. To help diagnose the problem
he developed an eighty-six question quiz to test the general
knowledge of his college students. Here are some of the
responses to that quiz. Charles Darwin invented gravity.
Ralph Nader is a baseball player. Christ lived in the sixteenth
century. Sid Caesar was an early Roman emperor. Mark
Twain invented the cotton gin. Dwight Eisenhower served as
president in the seventeenth century. Socrates was an Indian
chief. Camp David is in Israel.
So much for making a name for ourselves!! Since no
one is going to remember us, why dont we join together to
make a glorious name for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What to do:
Live for Christ; nothing else is as important!

********************

Our Words
May 11

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 2 Be not rash with thy mouth,
and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before
God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth:
therefore let thy words be few."
Key Words: Be not rash with thy mouth
 You find a caution in verses 1-8 in regard to making
rash promises.
Notice the cautions Solomon gives about our talk.

Verse 2: Be not rash with thy mouth.

Verse 2: Let thy words be few.
Verse 3: A foolish voice is known by a multitude of
words.
Verse 4: Pay that which thou hast vowed.
Verse 6: Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin.
Verse 7: With many words there are also divers
vanities.

Solomon also warned in Proverbs 6:1-2, My son, if

thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand
with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth,
thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
As the wealthy oil tycoon lay on his deathbed, his
pastor talked of God's healing power. "Pastor," he gasped, "if
God heals me, I'll give the church a million dollars."
Miraculously, the man revived and within a few short weeks
was out of the hospital. One day, several months later, he and
the pastor chatted on the sidewalk in front of a hardware
store. "You know," the pastor said, "when you were in the
hospital dying, you promised to give the church a million
dollars if you got well. We haven't got it yet." "Did I say
that?" the tycoon asked. "I guess that goes to show how sick I
really was!"
Dear Lord, today and everyday help me to let my
words be few

What to do:
Remember, what you say today, you will be trapped
with tomorrow.
 Worship and Profit
May 12
Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:9-16
Key Verse: Verse 9 Moreover the profit of the earth
is for all: the king himself is served by the field."
Key Words: Moreover the profit of the earth

We should all remember where our profit comes from!

In his book, Live Lighter, Love Better, Cary Schmidt writes:
"True provision comes from what is eternally valuable and
profitable. Sincere worship not only places me, it profits me
(in a most Jesus-oriented understanding of the term profit).
In this section of Scripture, Solomon warns that we are
all dependent, therefore we can all fall prey to worshipping
temporal provisions, which will ultimately let us down. He
warns us that true worshippers will worship the God of the
harvest, not the harvest itself.
Imagine a convenience store with a lottery ticket
machine in the corner. Standing before the machine is a man
who obviously needs every dollar in his possession. His
appearance is disheveled and gaunt, and he looks desperate.
One after another, he feeds dollar bills into the machine,
mumbling a prayer under his breath that one of these tickets
be his salvation. The mans hope and heart are hanging on
the lottery system. This is a form of worship. And this lottery
is a most cruel, disappointing lord.
Imagine its a few days before Christmas in New York
City. Just off Times Square is a Catholic church. Its early
morning, and the inside of the church is lined with statues
and prayers. Candles are burning, and a few people wander in
and out. At one statue stands an obviously worried woman.
She is praying fervently holding a string of beads, begging this
statue to intervene in her life. This statue cannot hear and
will not respond. This system is a desperately oppressive lord.
False worship, in whatever form, promises hope but
does not deliver. Its an anxious system, not a restful one. Its
an exercise of desperation, not salvation.
 Sincere worship produces a heart that knows real
contentment, deep gratitude, and sweet peace. It settles my
inner world, which stabilizes my outer world it puts me at
rest under the Lordship of Jesus Who promises to always
meet my needs. It sets me free from the crushing lordship of
stuff. It releases me to live lighter and love better.

What to do:
Remember, money worship is
not profit worship.

********************

My Portion
May 13

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Key Verse: Verse 18 Behold that which I have seen:
it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and
to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh
under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth
him: for it is his portion.
Key Words: for it is his portion

We are a blessed people. God has given me my

portion. Now my portion may not be as much as others or
maybe my portion is more than others. No matter what it
may be, it is a gift from God.
Its when we understand this that we can genuinely
worship God.
Youve heard of the testimony of H. J. Heinz, the
wealthy founder of your favorite ketchup company. In his last
will and testament he stated these words: Looking forward to
the time when my earthly career shall end, I desire to set forth
at the very beginning of this will, as the most important thing
in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and
Saviour; I also desire to bear witness to the fact that
throughout my life, in which were the usual joys and sorrows,
I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God. To
Him I attribute any success I may have obtained during my
lifetime.
Heinz knew great earthly success and fortune, but he
kept a right perspective on worship. Sincere worship of the
highest Lord anchored his heart to truth. He discovered that
Jesus is a better Lord and Saviour than ketchup or any wealth
it could bring.

What to do:
Rejoice over your portion rather than becoming
bitter over what you dont have.

********************

There Is An Evil
May 14
Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 6:1-8
Key Verse: Verse 2 - A man to whom God hath given
riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth
nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God
giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger
eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Key Words: God giveth him not power to eat

J. Vernon McGee writes:

A friend told me that when he was in a hotel in
Florida, he saw John D. Rockefeller, Sr., sitting and eating his
meal. He had just a few little crumbs, some health food, that
had been set before him. Over at a side table my friend saw
one of the men who worked as a waiter in the hotel sitting
with a big juicy steak in front of him. The man who could
afford the steak couldn't eat one; the man who could not
afford the steak had one to eat because he worked for the
hotel. It is better to have a good appetite than a big bank
account!
The rich man can eat only three meals a day, he can
sleep on only one bed at a time, and he cannot live longer than
the poor man no matter how many doctors he may have
and he takes nothing with him when he leaves. There is no
pocket in a shroud. Job was a rich man, and he said that he
had come here with nothing and he was going out the same
way. It is rather empty to give one's life to the pursuit of that
which does not bring happiness here and has no value
hereafter. Some people spend their lives in this kind of an
emptiness.
If there is to be true happiness and contentment in
anything we do, we must live by I Corinthians 10:31, Whether
therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the
glory of God.

What to do:
Live your life for Christ, for only then will your
accomplishments be eternal.

********************

This Is Your Life

May 15

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 6:9-12

Key Verse: Verse 11- Seeing there be many things
that increase vanity, what is man the better?"
Key Words: what is man the better?

In essence, Solomon is asking, What am I

accomplishing?
The speaker began his message by having a six-foot
table covered with a cloth. He then sat a shoe box in the
middle of the table saying, This box represents your life; your
time, resources, energy, ability all fit into this one box. Then
the speaker reached for several larger buckets, each
containing toy blocks. These buckets contained colorful
multi-shaped blocks. These blocks represent endless
possibilities and opportunities.
The speaker goes on to say: God has given you a
finite life -- the box. It will only hold a determined number of
these blocks. When all is said and done, there will be more
blocks left on the table than will be in the box. You will say no
to more things than you will say yes to. And God has
delegated to you the responsibility to strategically place the
right blocks into the box, and to wisely choose which blocks
are left outside of the box. He has designed you for His
purposes, and He has placed before you His opportunities.
He promises His wisdom and guidance, but you must choose.
Which blocks will you place in the box?
As the illustration unfolded, the participants began to
carefully choose blocks to place in the box. The box never
grew larger, and there was no possible way to put all the
blocks into one small box. The audience tried. At one point,
with Solomon-like desperation one of the participants
grabbed handfuls of blocks and tried to cram them in,
pressing them down with the box top to no avail. For every
yes there were dozens of nos. For every block placed in,
many were left out.
Such is your life! The point is choose what you want to
put in your box carefully because your life will be measured
by only whats done for Christ.

What to do:
Fill your box with Godly accomplishments.
 Be Wise
May 16

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 7:1-6

Key Verse: Verse 4-5 - (vs 4) The heart of the wise is in
the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the
house of mirth." (vs 5) "It is better to hear the rebuke
of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools."
Key Words: the wise

Its obvious from reading Ecclesiastes 7 that the theme

of this chapter is wisdom. Verses 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 16, 19, 23,
and 25 all speak of wisdom.
In verse 1 wisdom will give you a better name.
In verses 2 through 4, it will give you a better
understanding.
In verses 5 and 6, it gives one a better ear for hearing.
Solomon tells us in Proverbs 4:7, wisdom is the principle
thing. Bur wisdom doesn't come easy.
When speaking about wisdom, the Bible says, "Seek
her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures."
Silver and hidden treasure are located underneath the
ground. They require digging. The fact that the treasures are
hidden implies that it is not on top of the ground, obvious to
the casual eye. Why would God not make wisdom available
for anyone to pick up too easily? It's too valuable. He doesn't
want folks to pick it up who don't intend on using it. He has
placed wisdom as a hidden treasure underneath the ground
for those who really want it. Just like people who truly desire
to find gold don't mind digging and working to find it, wisdom
is only to be found by people who value it enough to search for
it.

What to do:
Be wise or you will do foolish things.
 Hasty Spirit
May 17

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 7:7-10

Key Verse: Verse 9 - Be not hasty in thy spirit to be
angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.'
Key Words: Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry

Its easy to see that the theme of verses 7 through 10 is

the spirit.
Note verse 8: patient in spirit, proud in spirit; verse 9:
hasty in spirit.
Sometimes we struggle with how to define the word
spirit. It deals with our intellect, our mental state, how we
think. It has a lot to do with our attitude.Our attitude should
be one of patience, not one of pride or hastiness. We should
be extremely cautious in regard to a hasty spirit of anger or
becoming angry quickly. We call this being quick-tempered.
Although Alexander the Great conquered the known
world, he couldnt conquer his own temper. On one occasion,
Cletus, a childhood friend and a general in Alexanders army,
became drunk and insulted the leader in front of his men.
Alexander became enraged and hurled a spear at Cletus,
intending merely to scare him. Instead, the spear killed
Alexanders life-long friend. Remorse engulfed Alexander as
he assessed the destruction of his uncontrollable anger. If we
dont control our anger, it will control us!

What to do:
Its always wise to remember that anger is only one
letter short of danger.
 Leaving Your Children
May 18

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 7:11-19

Key Verse: Verses 11 - Wisdom is good with an
inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see
the sun."
Key Words: Wisdom is good with an inheritance

To leave our children a great inheritance without

leaving them with the wisdom to handle it is a great waste.
The prodigal son of Luke 15 had a great inheritance
but no wisdom in how to handle it so he wasted his substance
with riotous living.
A rich man was determined to give his daughter a
birthday present that would outshine all others. He read of a
bird that had a vocabulary of 4,000 words, could speak in
numerous languages and sing three operatic arias. He
immediately bought the bird for $50,000 and had it delivered
to his daughter. The next day he phoned to see if she had
received the bird. What did you think of the bird? he asked.
She replied, It was delicious.
What a waste!! Most of us have known someone who
was successful in business, but he never brought that
success home to teach it to his children, thus they
squandered away everything they were left in just a matter of
months. What a waste!!

What to do:
Not only should we leave our children an
inheritance, but we should leave them with the
wisdom to handle it.
 Far From Me
May 19

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 7:20-29

Key Verse: Verses 23 - All this have I proved by
wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from
me."
Key Words: but it was far from me

There is an old saying that goes like this, An idle mind

is the devils workshop. Much of our discipline as parents
would not even be needed if parents would simply give out
some responsibilities.
Our children need to feel that they are contributing
something worthwhile. Responsibility helps to develop
maturity. It teaches our children that they are expected to
take a job and do it well. So dont be afraid to place a
reasonable amount of responsibility on your son or daughter.
It not only fills up idle time, it also keeps them out of
trouble.
In families where there is a desirable emotional
climate, children have jobs to do such as cleaning, washing
dishes, baby care, yard work, etc. These children usually are
easier to work with and are much more obedient than those
children with little or no responsibility.
In giving out a childs responsibility, avoid undue
pressure. Remember our children have our genes and are not
perfect. When you weigh a child down with perfection, ill
effects show up. Some of these effects are anger, fatigue,
nervous habits, and forgetfulness. The strain of perfection
will also show up in your childs conduct. It raises behavior
problems rather than diminishes them. Remember your child
may not do everything just the way you do it, and they may
not do it as well as you would do it; but that is not the object.
The object is to teach them responsibility and make them feel
a part of the family. May God give you wisdom as you train up
your child for Gods glory.
What to do:
Remember there are times that it is wise to admit
we dont have wisdom in a particular matter.

********************

Don't Upset Him

May 20

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 8:1-7

Key Verse: Verse 4 Where the word of a king is,
there is power: and who may say unto him, What
doest thou?"
Key Words: who may say unto him, What doest thou?

In Ecclesiastes, chapter 8, Solomon continues with his

theme of wisdom. In the first few verses, he in essence is
saying, dont upset the king. If you do, you are going to feel an
evil thing (vs 5).
I do think that the principle here is that if you do
disagree with the king (authority), be wise in how you handle
your disagreement. Dont be foolish.
During his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita
Khrushchev denounced many of the policies and atrocities of
his predecessor, Joseph Stalin. Once, as he reproached Stalin
in a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a shout
from a heckler in the audience. You were one of Stalins
colleagues. Why didnt you stop him? Who said that?
roared Khrushchev. An agonizing silence followed as nobody
in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev replied
quietly, Now you know why.

What to do:
Dont intentionally upset the king (authority).
 No Power Over Death
May 21

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 8:8-13

Key Verse: Verse 8 - There is no man that hath
power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he
power in the day of death: and there is no discharge
in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those
that are given to it."
Key Words: neither hath he power in the day of
death

Life is brief and we have no power over the timing of

our death.
Some die while sleeping; others die while working;
some while driving and others walking. But we have no
control over death.
But we do have control over how we spend our life.
Tony Evans writes: The Bible says that a general life
expectancy is three score and ten, which is seventy years. It
also says, if by reason of strength, four score, which is eighty
years. Thats right in the range of the average life expectancy
today. Men are expected to live for seventy-three years and
women for seventy-nine.
Heres a little project to do. If youre a man, take your
age and deduct it from seventy-three. If youre a woman, take
whatever age you are and deduct it from seventy-nine. That
will leave you X number of years that you have left. Multiply
the number of years times 365 because that tells you how
many days you have left on average. Then take some 8-1/2 X
11 sheets of paper and cut them into squares and let them
represent your days, which are numbered.
Every day, take a slip, ball it up, and toss it in the
trash can. That little exercise will remind you that your stack
is getting shorter. Time is running out. Whatever you plan on
doing for the glory of God and the kingdom of God, you need
to get around to it. Only one life will soon be passed; only
whats done for Christ will last.
What to do:
 I dont know when I will die but I do know what I
can do today to glorify God.

********************

Oh My!
May 22

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 8:14-17

Key Verse: Verse 15 - Then I commended mirth,
because a man hath no better thing under the sun,
than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that
shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life,
which God giveth him under the sun."
Key Words: eat and drink and be merry

This is the same way of thinking that the rich farmer

had in Luke 12:19. Eat, drink, and be merry.
What happened to Solomon; what happened to the
king who said, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get
wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding Proverbs
4:7. And what about 4:23, Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life. And Proverbs 3:5-7, Trust
in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the
LORD, and depart from evil.
I really dont know what happened to Solomon to
change him from wisdom to foolishness, it could be that he
had a bad case of Myopia.
Myopia is the technical term for what is commonly
known as nearsightedness. People who are nearsighted only
see whats near or close to them. Their range of vision is
limited. They need glasses to see things farther away due to
their myopia. This same medical terminology has been used
in the broader context of life to describe people who are
shortsighted and who dont see the big picture in life. These
folks tend to live for the moment, making choices that benefit
them in the right now. They live their lives existing only for
this life.

What to do:
Keep your focus on Christ for He is the only one that
truly matters.

********************

This One Thing

May 23

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

Key Verse: Verse 2 - All things come alike to all:
there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the
good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that
sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the
good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he
that feareth an oath."
Key Words: there is one event to the righteous,
and to the wicked

Solomon assures us that there is one event that both

the righteous and the unrighteous have in common and that is
that we both will die (vs 3). And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment Hebrews 9:27.
If a person wants to be a doctor, they dont wake up
one day and say, I want to be a doctor, and then start
practicing. That decision to be a doctor would have been
made years in advance. That decision would have determined
what college they went to and would have required years of
commitment to make it through an internship and residency.
In other words, a person doesnt become a doctor the day they
decide that a medical career is what they want to pursue. The
decision about direction requires a process.
A person doesnt just wake up one day and say, Im
going to be a lawyer, and then start trying cases the same
afternoon. A decision has to be made long in advance of
taking on clients.
For any professional career, there are requirements
that must be met in order to enjoy the benefits of that
decision. A career requires an investment of time and energy
before it becomes a reality.
Some of us have retirement accounts and IRAs
because we are planning for sixty-five and beyond. You dont
wake up at sixty-five and say, Let me start a retirement plan.
That decision is made in advance so that when you arrive at
sixty-five, you have something laid aside. Some of us, perhaps,
may be saving for our childrens education. You dont wake up
on the day of their high school graduation and say, Id better
put something aside for their education. That decision has to
be made in advance. The point is that the knowledge of the
future controls activity in the present. When you know where
you are going, you will make decisions about what you must
do in the now.
There is a day of reckoning coming when all men will
have to be confronted by God and where every Christian is
going to have to give an account. And when that day comes, it
will be too late to make any adjustments. Your decision about
that meeting, that day of reckoning in which you and I are
going to have to meet Jesus Christ, will have to have been
made long in advance of that occasion.

What to do:
We dont want to die today but we do need to be
ready in case we do.
 Contentment In Marriage
May 24

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 9:7-12

Key Verse: Verse 9 - "Live joyfully with the wife
whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which
he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy
vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy
labour which thou takest under the sun."
Key Words: Live joyfully with the wife whom thou
lovest all the days of the life

Isnt it amazing how some men think that the woman

they barely know will make a better partner than the wife they
loved and lived with for years? And by the way, the same can
be said for the woman who throws her life away for a man she
barely knows. What a waste! What a shame!
Men, there are a lot of beautiful women in this world,
but you need to be content with the wife of your youth.
Think of all the lives that are destroyed by extra-
marital affairsthe children, the grandchildren. Think of our
previous governor, Robert Bentley, who threw away his life
and all who loved him for a few weeks of pleasure.
We were visiting friends when they received a
telephone call from their recently married daughter. After
several tense minutes on the phone, the mother told the father
to pick up the extension. The newlyweds had had their first
big fight. In a few moments, the father rejoined us and tersely
explained, Said she wanted to come home. What did you
tell her? I asked. Told her she was home.
Now, there is some good counsel.

What to do:
Be content with the wife of thy youthshe probably
is the only one still willing to love you.
 The Unknown Man
May 25

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

Key Verse: Verse 15 - Now there was found in it a
poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the
city; yet no man remembered that same poor man."
Key Words: yet no man remembered that same
poor man

This poor wise man saved his city, but no man to this
day knows his name.
Its amazing how some have done some marvelous
things, yet their lives are lived in obscurity. For example, have
you ever heard of Benjamin Thompson? Probably not; yet
still his inventions have made life easier for us all.
Benjamin Thompson was born in Massachusetts in
1753 and developed an early interest in science. In 1795,
having already been knighted in England and Germany, he
became a Bavarian nobleman, giving himself the title Count
Rumford. He is credited with an invention that revolutionized
the worlds kitchen: the cookstove.
Rumford continued to experiment with ways of
enclosing stoves and with cooking equipment in the House of
Industry in Munich. There he came up with a new
Contrivance for roasting Meat, and so the roaster entered the
kitchen. The inventor also devised an improved coffee pot, a
photometer to test the intensity of various sources of light, a
calorimeter to measure the heat of various fuels, and a
portable lamp to which he gave his name. All in all, this early
expatriate achieved his self-proclaimed goal: To increase the
enjoyment and comforts of life.
Now my point is not about Benjamin Thompson or the
unknown poor wise man of Ecclesiastes 9. The point is that
many work for Christ in total obscurity and in this life will
never be known by the masses, but God knows who they are
and thats what is really important.
What to do:
Dont be discouraged. God knows who you are and
what you have done to enhance His kingdom.

********************

The Fool
May 26

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 10:1-15

Key Verse: Verse 12 - The words of a wise man's
mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow
up himself."
Key Words: but the lips of a fool

You find the words fool or folly eight times in this

chapter. Each time it gives us the down side of foolishness.
1. Verse 1 it stinks
2. Verse 2 a fools heart is in the wrong place
3. Verse 3 his advice is wrong
4. Verse 6 he exalts folly
5. Verse 12 he is ungracious
6. Verse 13 he incites madness (confusion)
7. Verse 14 he talks all the time and knows nothing
about what he is talking about
8. Verse 15 he is wearisome

In the middle of the sixteenth century one of the

strangest military weapons was developed. It was a huge
cannon with a 25-inch bore that could be fired only seven
times a day because it took so long to reload it. Huge piles of
powder were required for each shot; the barrel had to be
greased each time. It could shoot only one mile, but could be
heard for twelve miles. Over 650 men were needed to operate
it. There were no wheels; it had to be dragged over the
ground on rollers and weights. Another 250 carpenters went
on ahead to strengthen bridges and roads. The gun was cast
by a Hungarian founder at the directions of its inventor, a
man named Orban, who presented the unwieldy weapon to
Mohammed II to use in the siege of Constantinople. The giant
gun did not last long, however. After a few days it blew up,
blowing the body of its own creator into bits. Hence it was
known as Orbans Folly.
And thats the way it is! Eventually all the fools folly
will blow up in his face.

What to do:
If any [man lacks] wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it
shall be given him James 1:5.

********************

Fly Like A Bird

May 27

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 10:16-20

Key Verse: Verse 20 - Curse not the king, no not in
thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy
bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the
voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the
matter."
Key Words: and that which hath wings will tell
the matter

Solomon closes out chapter 10 with four problems.

First in verses 16-17 there is the problem of over-indulgence.
In verse 18 there is the problem of incompetence. In verse 19
there is the problem of indifference. But in verse 20 the
problem is one of indiscretion, saying what should not be said.
Trust me, if you say it, it will spread.
Four preachers were out together and wanted to have
a confession time. They were talking about their various
failures. One preacher said, "Well, you know, I sometimes
watch movies I shouldn't be watching." Another preacher
said, "Well you know, I go to the casino and gamble
occasionally." The other guy said, "You know, when I'm by
myself I smoke cigars and cigarettes." The fourth preacher
said, "Well, my sin is gossip and I can't wait to get out of
here.
If you dont want something you said repeated to
others, then youd best just keep that thought to yourself.

What to do:
Remember, no matter what you say, a little bird is
listening.

********************

What I Don't Know

May 28

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Key Verse: Verse 5 - As thou knowest not what is the
way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the
womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest
not the works of God who maketh all."
Key Words: thou knowest not the works of God
who maketh all

There are a lot of things I dont know, but that should

not stop me from doing those things that I do know.
Let me explain.
The formation of the fetus and the physical birth of a
baby are still great mysteries today. Spiritual rebirth is an
even greater mystery. You do not know how the Spirit will
move. The Lord Jesus said that, "The wind bloweth where it
listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell
whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is
born of the Spirit" (John 3:8) . There is a great deal that we do
not know.
 I believe his point is simply this: Don't let what you
don't know disturb what you do know. Let me give an
example. Any person knows enough to sit in a chair. There is
an empty chair in my study right now. I don't mind getting up
and going over there to sit down. Now there are a lot of things
I don't know about that chair. I don't know anything about its
construction who made it or how it was made but I do
know that I can sit in that chair and it will hold me up. That is
really all I need to know about the chair. So don't let what you
don't know disturb what you do know.

What to do:
Dont worry about what you dont know, just carry
out what you do know.

********************

Wrong Choices
May 29

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 11:7-10

Key Verse: Verse 9 - Rejoice, O young man, in thy
youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy
youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the
sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these
things God will bring thee into judgment."
Key Words: God will bring thee into judgment

It seems as though that Solomon is back and forth and

cant make up his mind if youthfulness is positive or negative.
In verse 7 Solomon sees youthfulness as a positive.
The ability to have sight is a positive thing.
In verse 8 Solomon switches back to a negative, Let
him remember the days of darkness.
But now in verse 9 hes positive again, Let thy heart
cheer thee in the days of thy youth.
But in verse 10 he says childhood and youth are vanity.
 The essence of what Solomon is saying is that the
choices we make in our youth will determine if our life is filled
with darkness or light.
Your youthful days are empty if they are not lived
right. Life is a gift that is given to us by God, given one day at
a time, in fact, one second at a time. It is a precious gift, and
it is to be used for the glory of God. What is the chief end of
man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him
forever.

What to do:
Remember, you will live with your decisions so
make your choices wisely.

********************

Getting Old
May 30

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

Key Verse: Verse 7- Then shall the dust return to the
earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God
who gave it."
Key Words: Then shall the dust return to the earth
as it was

Solomon reminds us of the importance of

remembering God when we are young because old age is
coming. It is inevitable for us all. I will you will we all will
go through old age. Eyesight will dim, hands will tremble,
teeth begin to come loose, cant sleep, little things become a
bunch. Then this old body will turn to dust, but praise God
the spirit shall go to God (verse 7).
You know youre getting older when
Most of your dreams are reruns
 You sit down in a rocking chair and you cant
get started
Your mind makes commitments your body
cant keep
The little gray-haired lady you help across the
street is your wife
Everything hurts, and what doesnt hurt,
doesnt work
You sink your teeth into a juicy steak and they
stay there
You watch a pretty girl go by, and your
pacemaker makes the garage door open.
But its also good to remember that age has its benefits
as well.
Abraham was 75 before he began his journey for God.
Moses was 80 when he led Israel out of Egypt.
Dont let your age hinder your service. You can always
have a ministry. If nothing else, you can be a prayer warrior.

What to do:
Stay faithful until God calls you home.

Is This All There Is?

May 30
 Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 12:8-14
Key Verse: Verse 8- Vanity of vanities, saith the
preacher; all is vanity."
Key Words: Vanity of vanities

Solomon looks at life and says vanity of vanities. Is

this really all there is to life?
I remember distinctly one Christmas all my children
being gathered around in great anticipation of opening the
gifts. The gifts had been voluptuously wrapped with ribbons,
and my kids were excited. Paper began to fly everywhere as
they hurriedly unwrapped all of their gifts. The gifts had cost
a lot and they had been well packaged. With great vim and
vitality, the children began the process of unwrapping them.
However, I remember the statement that was made by one of
them after all of the gifts had been unwrapped. The question
was, Is this all there is? Evidently, some of you have
experienced that. Many of us have unwrapped life and we
want to know if this is all there is.
The answer to the question, Is this all there is to life
is yes and no. Yes, this is all there is when we live life for self;
but no when we live life for Christ.
So, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole
duty of man.

What to do:
Live life for Godthat is our duty.
I deeply appreciate the
help of

Mary Parsons

Glenda Myrick

And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these

people to help, this
devotional would not
have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse
 is a ministry of

5568 Chalkville Mountain Road

Birmingham, AL. 35235
(205) 854-2741
www.mountainviewbaptist.org