Friday 8 November 2013

Read Ecclesiastes 8:14-17. Deuteronomy 29:29

 Even though Solomon sought to search out life and to find meaning and value in life he came to the conclusion in verse 16-17 that there’s still a mystery to life. We cannot know all that God does and His wisdom is beyond searching out. There is a point at which we have to throw up our hands and declare that we just don’t and can’t know everything. We have to let God be God.

God doesn’t expect us to know the unknowable. Nor does He expect us to comprehend Himself and His plans to the full. Such a desire is totally unreachable as Romans 11:34 teaches us;

Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been His counselor?

What God expects is that we learn and grow in Him (2 Peter 1:3-4) and walk in obedience with the knowledge that we have. God teaches us that the more we learn about Him, the more He will teach us. And in that knowledge of God we are called to live joyfully, rather than desperately or negatively.

We may witness good people getting what the wicked deserve or the wicked getting what the good deserve but even this should not give way to despair or depression. God calls us to enjoy the blessings He has given us. Such enjoyment of life is not a call to live in ignorance to the evils of the world. It is not a call to dismiss wickedness or to avoid dealing with it. It is not a call to pretend that all is well and to cocoon ourselves from the world.

To live with joy means to live under the sovereignty of God and to trust that He will judge the righteous and the wicked. It means to live in faith that God’s plans cannot be thwarted and that no person or organization or institution is free from or independent of God’s power and rule. To live with joy means to live with total trust and faith in God even though we see evil, suffering and wickedness around us.

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 those in your congregation who are suffering through tough times or who are afflicted by evil/wickedness. Pray for perseverance. Pray for godliness to shine through. Pray that these people will find joy and strength in the Lord and in His provision.

ª Pray that these people who are suffering will be ministered to and loved by the congregation. Pray that the body of Christ will function as the true body of Christ as they selflessly support these people.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. In America many families loose loved ones in school shootings. How could you comfort such a family based on today’s passage?

2. Why should (or why shouldn't) Christians be involved in seeking justice for the oppressed?

3. What role should the church play in seeking justice for the oppressed?