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What my heart longs for…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 11:4a Whoever watches the wind will not plant….
I read commentary for background details that I might not otherwise know, but I always take their words and hold them up to my own filter, to what I know to be true of my Savior. Commentary views this section through the lens of disobedience: if you don’t do what you are supposed to because you are too busy focusing on the little details, you are being disobedient. The implication, at least in my mind, is that you will be punished for that disobedience.
Ecc 11:4b …whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
I think the analogy of God as parent is appropriate. As a parent myself, my primary focus is not the disobedience of my children so I can punish. Rather, my heart longs for them to trust that what I want for them is in their best interest and to be obedient because of that trust. That shift in perspective, for me, is huge. That trust, for me, is a daily struggle (and the fact that it is a struggle is a daily frustration).
Ecc 11:5a As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed a in a mother’s womb….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for not being a task-master God, who jumps at the opportunity to punish disobedience. Thank You for wanting me to trust You and for Your fierce patience as I traverse this path. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ecc 11:5b …so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Have a blessed day.
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Sharpening the ax…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 10:10 If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success. (NIV)
Commentary contained an interpretation of verse 10 that focused specifically on the Christian worker. But if we are all to work as though working for God instead of human masters (Col 3:23), wouldn’t that be all of us, all the time?
Ecc 10:10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. (NLT)
Renewal is important. Nourishing my soul so that I can give my Savior 100% effort is important. If my ax is dull, it will take more effort for the same outcome, leading to burnout. If I’m burned out, I’m no good to anyone.
Ecc 10:10 If your ax is dull and you don’t sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it. It is smarter to plan ahead.  (GNT)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder to nourish my soul, to be still and know, so that I can root myself in You. Help me to sink my roots deep into Your love. Give me a firm foundation. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ecc 10:10 If you don’t sharpen your ax, it will be harder to use; if you are wise, you’ll know what to do. (CEV)
Have a blessed day.
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Focus on hope…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 9:4 As long as we are alive, we still have hope….
Once again, I am intentionally choosing to focus on hope as I read Ecclesiastes. The second half of verse 4 is: “…just as a live dog is better off than a dead lion.” Not very positive. But the first part, as long as there is life, there is hope, I can definitely get behind. Hope, God’s hope, is what keeps me going.
Ecc 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might….
And with verse 10, I choose to focus on hope, shoving aside the second part of the verse, which says, “…for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” I know that God can use ALL things (Romans 8:28), so whatever the task in front of me, I’ll work at it with all my might, as though working for God instead of human masters (Col 3:23).
Ecc 9: 17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the hope that can only come from You. Thank You for allowing me to focus on the positive and uplifting. Help me to shine Your light for all to see. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ecc 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Have a blessed day.
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The enjoyment of life…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 8:15a So I commend the enjoyment of life….
At a glance, this verse appears to finally contain some positive counsel: Eat, drink, and be merry! And while that is upbeat at least, the sub-context is: Life is meaningless. You may as well make the best of it by enjoying the meaningless pleasures. Sigh.
Ecc 8:15b …because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. 
For me, it boils down to trust—something I am really bad at, but I’m trying. There is so much I do not understand in this life, and I think one day I will be in a position to find answers. But when that day finally arrives and I see Jesus face to face, I really don’t think those answers will be so important any more. So I try to trust —through my anger, confusion, and heartbreak—in the One who loves me fiercely. And I try to find the joy in each day because that joy is a gift from God.
Ecc 8:15c …Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You that I don’t see life as meaningless, even when I don’t understand. Thank You for infusing Your joy in every day. Help me to see and savor it. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ecc 8:15d …God has given them under the sun.
Have a blessed day.
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Jesus is my hope…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 7:14a When times are good, be happy….
Once again the speaker takes a depressing view of the situation (look all the way to the end of verse 14), but I just can’t. Again, I know the speaker’s endgame is to remind the audience that only God’s presence gives life meaning. When I look at these verses, that truth is what I see.
Ecc 7:14b …but when times are bad, consider this….
The end of verse 14, the fact that “Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future,” is supposed to be the real zinger, but that’s where I find the most hope. I can’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future, and I know He can use all things for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28). That’s why, “…I will always have hope….” (Psalm 71:14). Jesus is my hope.
Ecc 7:14c …God has made the one as well as the other. 
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the hope that can only come from You. Infuse my spirit with Your hope so that I can share that hope with the world. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ecc 7:14d …Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
Have a blessed day.
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Words can be a gateway…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 6:11 The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? (NIV)
This verse talks about the futility of arguing, continuing to throw words at a situation. I am reminded at once of the futility of social media, where armchair philosophers throw words into cyberspace, often with the sole goal of stirring the pot. Definite futility.
Ecc 6:11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they? (NLT)
However, I am also reminded of calls for assistance on social media, calls for prayer, posts that galvanize people to positive action, and I am reminded of James 2:17, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” Words can be a gateway to beautiful, affirming action and can be very good indeed.
Ecc 6:11 For when there are many words, they increase futility. What is the advantage for mankind? (CSB)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that I need to be careful with my words, that I need to use them for good, to praise You and to edify others. Help me to use my words to shine Your light. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ecc 6:11 The longer you argue, the more useless it is, and you are no better off. (GNT)
Have a blessed day.
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Rooted in my identity in Christ…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 5:15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. (NIV)
I’ve mentioned that reading Ecclesiastes is hard for me because of the hopeless overtone used to drive home the point that everything is meaningless unless God is in the midst of us. I agree completely with the sentiment, but I wish God were underscored earlier and more often in this book.
Ecc 5:15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. (NLT)
This verse, however, reminds me of the need for balance in life, of the fact that life isn’t just about work. I focused so completely on my job at one point that I let it consume my identity. I saw myself as a teacher first and foremost. And while being a teacher is a crucial piece of who I am, first and foremost, I am a deeply, fiercely loved child of God. Period. Everything else is rooted in my identity in Christ.
Ecc 5:15 We leave this world just as we entered it–with nothing. In spite of all our work there is nothing we can take with us. (GNT)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Reading through Ecclesiastes is difficult because of the sorrowful undertone, but life without You is definitely sorrowful. Thank You for the hope that can only come from You. Help me to draw closer to You and to shine Your light. Always. Amen.
Ecc 5:15 They came from their mother’s womb naked. They will leave as naked as they came. They won’t even be able to take a handful of their earnings with them from all their hard work. (GWT)
Have a blessed day.
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We are better together…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor….
This section of Ecclesiastes is often used in wedding ceremonies, but commentary talks about how it underscores the importance of relationships, of community in general.
Ecc 4:10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
We are better together. God created us to be in relationship with others, to coexist within community. I have seen this to be the case over the course of the pandemic. As much as I joke that I don’t like people (that’s the hard-core introvert in me), I absolutely need *my* people, my community, in my life. No man is an island after all.
Ecc 4:11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for creating us with a need for community. Help us to reach out to others with Your love and in Your name. Help us never forget that we truly are better together. Amen.
Ecc 4:12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Have a blessed day.
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Seasons of life…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens….
I have always looked at this particular section and seen the beauty and poetry in the language. Commentary, however, points out the repetition and monotony inherent in the parallel structure of “a time to….” and posits how this crushing monotony reinforces the idea that life is utterly meaningless when not connected to a higher purpose.
Ecc 3:2 …a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot….
I don’t do well with the hopeless undertones of this book. And my life is firmly rooted in the meaning of my Savior (Thank You, Jesus!), so when I look at this section, I am reminded more of the seasons of life than its meaninglessness. Some seasons are easier and happier than others, but each will ebb and flow into the next in God’s time.
Ecc 3:3 …a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for giving my life eternal purpose and meaning. Thank You for the seasons of life, each ebbing and flowing into the next. Help me to see Your presence everywhere and to shine Your light for all. Amen.
Ecc 3:4 …a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance….
Have a blessed day.
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Light and hope…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 2:20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 
I watched a video overview of Ecclesiastes before beginning this book, and I am so thankful that I did.  To read this book on its on is hard. Every single chapter is depressing. Everything is meaningless and pointless. But God….
Ecc 2:21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 
Life, as evidenced in Ecclesiastes, is the same. Without the hope of God, without the presence of God, without the meaning of God, life is pretty pointless. We all know we aren’t getting out of here alive and we can’t take a single thing with us. But God….
Ecc 2:22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 
Lord, Thank You for this scripture and this day. Thank You for the knowledge that You are my center and my purpose. As I go through this life, draw me closer to You. Help me to shine Your Light and share Your hope, knowing that is what gives my life purpose. Amen.
Ecc 2:23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
Have a blessed day.