Monday 30 September 2013

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:16, Psalm 73:1-17

When was the last time that you stopped and really thought about all the evil and suffering in the world? When was the last time that you took a moment to ponder the many terrible things that happen in the world? When was the last time that you truly felt the weight of a broken and sinful world?

Despite our tendency to shy away from questions like these the Bible does not. Instead the Bible deals with the issues of suffering, pain, wickedness and injustice with uncomfortable, often horrifying honesty. Books like Lamentations make us squirm as they describe and deal with suffering at length. Many of the Psalms are devoted to dealing with suffering and evil in the world. Even the New Testament authors deal with the topic head on, describing how suffering can be used by God for our benefit (Romans 5:1-5, Romans 8:28) and that we ought to face suffering with joy (James 1:2-3).

Solomon takes this same head on approach to wickedness and injustice in this passage. He candidly states exactly the problem: "In the place of judgment, wickedness was there. In the pace of justice - wickedness was there." How true is this observation even today!? In the place where there should be justice, kindness and mercy there is wickedness and immorality. Around the world there are judges who pervert justice, government officials who take bribes and even church leaders who abuse their power for evil and injustice. In these places where there should be justice, kindness and mercy there is wickedness and injustice.

Asaph discusses a similar issue in Psalm 73. Asaph is lamenting the injustice of righteous, God following people suffering while the wicked seem to prosper. Asaph doesn't shy away from this terrible truth. He doesn't respond to the issue with mere platitudes or with wishy, washy hope that maybe God would fix these issues. Instead he tackles the full terrible truth of this injustice head on. He spends time dwelling on and lamenting the state of the world. He doesn't leave it at that though. He hints at the answer to this problem and cries out to God, the only sufficient answer to evil and suffering.

Just like Asaph, we ought to spend time lamenting the evil and suffering in the world. It is so easy to shy away from these things or to sweep them out of our minds with cliche's or platitudes but God does not ask or command us to do this. Instead we do as Solomon, Asaph and Jesus all do, we confront evil, injustice and suffering head on and we cry out to God that He would work. Spend time today lamenting the terrible evil and suffering in the world and pray that God would work these things for the sake of His kingdom and the good of those who love Him.

Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today's reading to help you get ideas. 

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

• Praise God that He is a merciful and compassionate God. Praise Him that despite the terrible suffering and evil in the world that He chose to live as one of us and suffer and die that we might live with Him. Pray that He would give you a heart of mercy and compassion towards all those who are suffering and broken in this world.
• Praise God that He speaks through His word to His people. Praise God that His people all over the world were able to meet together yesterday to worship Him and to study His word. Pray that the message preached at your church yesterday would sink deep into your heart and the hearts of all those who heard so that lives would be changed and that His people would live wholly for Him.

My Additional Prayer Points. 

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Saturday 28 September 2013

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:14-15, Revelation 20:11-15

One day you will stand before the throne of God for judgment. Just think about that for a moment. That day will be like the hardest job interview, the most difficult interrogation and the most stressful court appearance all rolled into one. John describes that the dead are judged for what they have done while they lived on Earth. The books and records are thrown open and every man is called to account for the things done in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

In Ecclesiastes 2:15 Solomon reminds us that God will call the past to account. There is nothing which escapes God's gaze. There is no secret sin or hidden thought which could possibly avoid God's judgment. Solomon's response to God's judgment and to God's unchanging nature (see yesterday's notes) is found at the end of verse 14, "God does it so that men will revere Him."

Our only appropriate response to God's awesome power, His unchanging nature and His perfectly just judgment is to fall at His feet and worship Him in reverence and fear. No other response will do. Nothing else is sufficient. We revere and fear this almighty God.

This reverence and fear is not without hope however. The incredible truth is that this same judge has taken the initiative to make us right with Himself at His own great cost. If we are in Christ then we can have confidence that our name is written in the Book of Life and when judgment day comes we can stand justified on the basis of His righteousness on our behalf. This God is certainly a God to be feared and revered but He is also a God of great grace, mercy and hope.

When we gather together on Sondays to worship as a church we must come with this kind of worshipful reverence and joyful thanks for His grace. When we are praying at home we remember who we are praying to and we praise Him through our prayers. When we are going about our days and meditate on His word it should motivate us to respond with awe and thanksgiving. Every moment of our lives should be lived out of worship for Him. Our God is an almighty, powerful God. Do we worship Him accordingly?

Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

ª Praise God for who He is! Praise Him that He is righteous, just and powerful. Praise Him that He is worthy of all praise and glory and honour. Praise Him that He never changes and that He will one day bring all things to account yet He loved you enough enough to suffer and die for you. Hallelujah!

ª Pray for the preaching of the Word at your church tomorrow. Pray that God would give courage and boldness to whoever is preaching. Pray that they would be faithful to the word and that they would preach with power and authority. Pray that God would prepare your heart and the hearts of the congregation to hear His Word and for your life to be changed.

My Additional Prayer Points.

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 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Practically, how should this knowledge about the surety of our salvation change the way that we live?

2. If our salvation is so sure why should we strive to live holy and righteous lives? If you are stuck have a look at Romans 6.

Friday 27 September 2013

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:14, Romans 9:28-39

Do you know anyone who regularly decides that they are going to go on a diet and about 3 days later the diet is totally ruined? What about someone who often resolves that they are going to do more exercise? Not even a week later they are back onto the same old routine as before. Do you make resolutions like this only to break them after only a few days?

Imagine for a moment what the world would be like if God was like this. Imagine if, after creating the world, He decided to move onto another project after a few days, leaving the Earth to decay. Imagine if, after making a covenant with the people of Israel at Mt Sinai God decided to not hold up His end of the bargain after only a week or two. Imagine if Jesus had lost His resolve during his 30+ year mission on Earth. What would this world be like?

Thankfully God is not like this. Solomon assures us of God's unchanging nature in today's passage. God does not decide things on a whim. Instead everything that He does endures forever. Solomon emphasises this by saying that nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. There is nothing that man could do to frustrate or to change the plans of God and God promises us that He will not change His mind.

This should give us incredible assurance regarding our salvation. Think about it for a moment. God is the one who chooses (predestines) us that we might know Him. God is the one who does the work of justification through Christ on the cross. God is the one who gives us faith in Him through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. God is the one who sanctifies us and works in us as we strive for holiness. The entire work of salvation is done by God alone.

If our salvation depends not on our own merits or our choice of God but rather His choice of us and His salvation given to us, then we can know that our salvation in Him is as firm and unshakeable as our unchanging God Himself!

That is what Paul is reminding us of in Romans 8. Nothing can separate us from Christ and His love for us! NOTHING! If we are saved through faith in Christ we can be absolutely, 1,000% sure of the love of God for us through Him. Today, rest in the love of Christ for you and the assurance of salvation from an unchanging God.

Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

ª Pray for the elders of your church. Pray that God would give them wisdom and guidance as they seek to lead the church. Pray that they would be encouraged in their work and that God would continue to grow them in their love for Him. Pray that they might teach the Word faithfully and be growing in passion for those who are lost.

 ª Pray for Jim and Faye Lyons and their ministry to children and parents through Straight Talk Australia. Pray that God would strengthen and encourage them in their work and that He would open many opportunities for them to share God's good plan for sexuality. Pray that God would go before them to prepare hearts and that many lives would be impacted by their teaching.

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Thursday 26 September 2013

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

Many unbelievers seem to think that God is a mean rule-maker who hates fun. They believe that a life following God would be boring, dry and without satisfaction. This theory might even be backed up by the seemingly perpetual sour expression on the face of some Christians!

However this is totally opposite to the concept of God that Solomon describes. Look again in Ecclesiastes 3:12-13. One of Solomon's recurring conclusions throughout the book of Ecclesiastes is that man should "Eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil." This is not a life of boredom but a life of true pleasure, satisfaction and joy. A life of enjoying all the good things which God has made.

In fact, far from God denying satisfaction and enjoyment, Solomon makes the point that lasting pleasure and satisfaction can only be had if given by God and enjoyed in light of relationship with Him. In Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 he writes:

“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment?”

If we desire to live a life of lasting satisfaction and enjoyment (and who doesn't!?) we can only truly do so in relationship with God and if given by God.

How often do we forget that true pleasure is found in God alone and seek after pleasure and satisfaction in other ways? We might seek after satisfaction by finding meaning in our work to the neglect of our relationship with God. We might seek after recognition or popularity at school, at work or even at church, seeking after satisfaction in other people. We might be greedy for money and things hoping that they would make us happy. Take a moment to repent of those things that you seek after for happiness and satisfaction and pray that He would help you to find your value and strength in Him. The truth is that none of these things can ever truly satisfy us, only He can.

 Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

ª Pray for the talent night at Christlife tonight during which the children and families who have been involved with Extreme Week will be able to present what they have prepared. Pray that the church congregation would welcome those from the community with open arms and demonstrate the love of Christ to them. Pray that the Gospel is shared and that God would work in the hearts of all who attend.

ª Pray for those who volunteer in various capacities in your church. Pray that God would encourage them and strengthen them in their service of the church. Pray that God would grow a passion to serve in the hearts of those who are currently not actively involved.

My Additional Prayer Points.

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 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Solomon clearly says that it is good to enjoy the good things that God has made, including food and drink. Practically, how can we eat and drink in a way that  takes pleasure in what God has made?

2. What would it look like to work in such a way as to take satisfaction and enjoyment in what we do?

3. What advice would you give someone about how to take satisfaction and pleasure in a job that they don’t enjoy?

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:11, Job 38:1-15

Have you ever been away from the lights of the city and looked up at all the stars in the night sky? Scientists estimate that on the clearest possible night we are able to see approximately 10,000 stars from Earth with the naked eye. However this is only a minuscule portion of the total stars in the sky. It is estimated that there are at least 100,000,000,000,000 (one hundred thousand million) stars in the Milky Way galaxy alone and millions and millions of other galaxies in the universe.

Now think about how this puts into perspective the words of Isaiah 40:12, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens?" Our God is the one who is able to measure off these incredible heavens and our amazing universe with the breadth of His hand!

 Not only this but our God is able to measure the waters (all of them) in the hollow of His hand, He is able to hold the dust of the Earth in a basket and able to weigh the mountains on scales! We serve an incredible, powerful and sovereign God. A God who created all things, controls all things and is able to do all things. A God whose power is beyond our imagination and whose ways are beyond our comprehension. We serve an indescribable God.

Solomon reminds us about our indescribable God in Ecclesiastes 3:10: "He has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

In western culture we have a tendency to domesticate our God, to lose sight of just how incredible, powerful and indescribable He truly is. In doing so we miss out on just how amazing the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is. The fact that such an all powerful God would choose to become a man to live amongst us, to suffer and to die so that we might have an intimate, personal relationship with Him should absolutely blow our minds. The same hands that measured the heavens and held all of the waters were stretched out and nailed to a cross. Spend some time this morning to meditate on God's incredible glory and praise Him for His indescribable grace to you.

Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

ª Please continue to pray for Extreme Week Holiday Kids Club at Christlife. Pray that the children would be impacted by the love of God demonstrated to them and that they would take that impact home to their families. Pray that God would open and prepare hearts to hear about Him and that many families would turn to Him in repentance and faith.

ª Pray for all the small groups gathering throughout this week at your church. Pray that God would give each of them wisdom and insight into His word and that they would be strengthened and enabled to live what they learn.

My Additional Prayer Points.

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 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Together make a list of things that you can praise God for. Include things about who He is, what He has done through Christ and what He has done in your life. Spend some time praying through these things as a group and praising God. If you like, praise God using music as well.