Daily Discipler - Significance - Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

PP 372

Ref: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

(www.biblegateway.com)

Today's reading from the daily discipler has been two days in the making for me. I began reading yesterday, and was hijacked by the imagery of my state "going under", as the flood waters rose. How relevant it is, to read Ecclesiastes 3 at this time. "A time to break down, and a time to build up, a time to weep, and a time to laugh, A time to gain, and a time to lose, A time to keep, and a time to throw away."

Unfortunately, our society has only got an understanding of half of this powerful scripture, and the other half needs to be taught to us time and time again. We maintain there is a time to build, a time to laugh, a time to gain and a time to keep, and it is "All the Time".

It is only when a great catastrophe takes place, that we are forced to see that these things are temporary and temporal. In the Daily Discipler today, Anderson discusses our "Significance" and he points out two tragedies:

1. That we place significance on things that will one day be forgotten. Such as sporting hero's scores, and celebrities dresses and.... (you fill in your blank)

&

2. That we don't place significance on things that will actually last for eternity, such as Acts of Service or Ministry that we do "as unto the Lord". (regardless of how small or obscure they seem)

There is no need to search for our significance, because we are "God's Children" Jn 1:12 which makes us of great value. Instead, we should agree with God and place significance on "Storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where rust and moth.... and floodwaters and fire cannot destroy.

I Cor 3:14 If what we have built survives, we will receive our reward.

Thought for the day: how long do treasures on Earth last compared to eternity ?

- My main argument for this is that we don't actually have a concept of eternity. It is hard to focus on eternity, when the here and now is so tangible and pressing, but when we really consider existing "Without Time" in eternity, our entire life on this planet is but a moment, which means that the things that we may have had for even a portion of our lives is less than a moment in eternity... Worth thinking about.

Death comes to us all, we should not live as if death is the enemy, and we can somehow elude him. Instead, we should embrace the life we have until God calls us home. Like Kids playing in a field with great Joy, until Mum calls and playtime is over...

Something to think about.

J