Date: Monday July 16, 2012
Today's Chapters: Ecclesiastes 1-4
Message Title: We Cannot Fail

Hello My Friend,

All Christians want to see God's blessings upon their lives, we long for prosperity, security, necessities, and the occasional desires. We should understand that blessings from God are not always joyful in the beginning, but always turn out to be in the end, and while we cannot be sure of which blessings God will send us, we can be sure that as long as we do all that we do upon the foundation of Christ we cannot fail. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” - 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

The Book of Ecclesiastes is the twenty-first book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains twelve chapters. The time line is approximately 977 BC. The author of the book is King Solomon and it was first written to the Israelites, but it is for all believers in general. The purpose of the book was to provide a description of the quest for life apart from God and to prove that Life apart from God, no matter how much one has, is vanity (worthless) and vexation (distressing) of the spirit. “For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.” - Ecclesiastes 2:26.

King Solomon was brought up by King David, a man known as the apple of God's eye. Solomon was taught by David to love the Lord His God, with all his heart, mind, and soul. Solomon did very well in the beginning of his career, he loved God, sought wisdom and God's will, he became a preacher, had the first temple built for God per David's instructions, and because he put God first he prospered and become the richest man in the world. However, once he got a taste of the world he quickly got away from God. The word Ecclesiastes means the preacher, which he wrote in his old age after realizing all the mistakes he made, if anything Solomon learned one valuable lesson, without God, all is vanity.

“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.” - Ecclesiastes 1:2-4,8-11.

While we may think that the things of today are the newest and best or worse, it is nothing that God has not already seen. I always say the difference between now and then is technology, we get a little more smarter over the years, but less gets done because we forget the basics. “I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” - Ecclesiastes 1:16-18.

You know the saying, “Less is more.” or “The less you know the better.” When we start to learn things it grieves us because we have to work harder to get the same result. I know there are some things I learned that I would have been better off not knowing, they haven't made my life any easier nor have they increased my riches, all I got was stress and health problems. And let me tell you, the job or life you once loved turns to hate because it's all vanity. “And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.” - Ecclesiastes 2:10,11,17,26.

Why do we grieve and start to hate life the more successful we become? We are trying to use our own strength and are miserable at it. Solomon learned that two heads are much better than one. “So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:1,9-12.

No matter how strong we think we are we are not Superman, we are indestructible, even Superman had weaknesses. Christ is the strength of the Christian, the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, if we do anything in our own strength we will always fail. If we are not building that career upon the foundation of Christ, it will fail, if we do not a build marriage or any other relationship upon the foundation of Christ, it also will fail. It's not an insult, it's just that we were not made to carry so much weight all on our own. That's why Christ gives us the strength to carry the weight for us, then when we have exhausted our abilities, He can take over and we will be successful. Just remember also, failure is not the end, it's a new beginning into something better than we imagined as long as we build it upon the foundation of Christ. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” - Philippians 4:13.

Today's Prayer: God, As much as I try to do everything with Your Son guiding me I know I fail miserably at it. Sometimes I think I can handle it on my own and that You do not want to deal with such petty things, but I know that You want to be in every part of my life, even when I am doing simple chores. Lord, give me Your power, strength, and guidance, help me to build everything upon Your foundation so I cannot fall. If I do fall keep me looking to You and looking for the blessings that come from my experience. Let me use my knowledge to glorify You so I will not grow to hate the things I love to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's Price
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Subscribe To This Devotional: Subscribe
Unsubscribe From This Devotional: Unsubscribe

©2012 I'm Following Jesus