Coming Up Sonday November 24:
Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8
Call to Decision Before You Get Senile.
It’s unfortunate that life is turned around for many only after they have a near death experience or after they lose someone dear to them. Jack (not his real name) worked long hours and neglected his family and kids to give them the best of everything. He suffered a near fatal heart attack before he reached 40. It took this near death experience for him to quit the high stress, high income job, to move to the country and to spend more time on the things that mattered most- his family and friends.
Life is a gift from God. He doesn’t want you to waste it by chasing money or by trying to build an empire or by living foolishly. God wants you to enjoy life. He wants you to follow your heart and to be blessed with joy and happiness.
Solomon is not saying give yourself over to wanton indulgence. He is not saying that you can do as you please. He is not saying that you don’t have to worry if you hurt others or tread on their toes. He is not saying that you can adopt a ‘life’s a party’ mentality and drown reality in alcohol and drugs. Life is a gift from God to be enjoyed but that doesn’t mean it can be lived in sinful ways chasing sinful pleasures. At the end of vs 9 Solomon reminds us that God will bring us to judgment. Thus we can see the positive from the negative.
When Adoniram Judson (the great missionary to Myanmar) was first converted, people used the phrase ‘He’s become serious’ to describe the conversion. Judson lamented that they should be saying, ‘He’s become joyous’ because believers should be so filled with joy that it emanates in their life in everything they do and in everything they go through.
Being joyous or being filled with the joy of the Lord is a decision we are called to make. It’s not a decision based on life’s circumstance for the Lord calls us to rejoice in all situations. Joy is a certain knowledge and contentment that we are loved by God and approved by Him no matter what comes our way in this life. It’s a certain hope for a future to be spent in God’s perfect paradise after a short meander through the rocky road of this world.
Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him (Phil 2:6-11). Paul rejoiced and praised God while chained in a prison cell. Will you choose to be filled with the joy of the Lord regardless of your life situation?
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 that the joy of the Lord would fill your church and shine out brightly to those around your church. Pray that many would be drawn to Christ through this joy.
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