From: September 2, 2024
“Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV).
The apostle Paul quoted Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa. 49:8) concerning the time of salvation that the coming Messiah would bring to both Jew and Gentile alike. Paul declared to the Corinthians that the long awaited for time had come. Paul began both phrases of his application of Isaiah’s prophecy with “behold, now.” The word “behold” called them to “look” and “see” with understanding. The word “now” demanded a sense of urgency to see that the appointed time had finally come and was upon them. What the faithful had long awaited with expectation was finally here.
As the Ecclesiates reading for today states, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). So today, we live in the “favorable time” of the gospel, yet let us not “receive the grace of God in vain.” Having heard the gospel, now is the time to accept it. Having accepted the gospel, now is the day to live it out and proclaim it.
Behold, now is the day of salvation!
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are so blessed to be living in the day of grace that the saints of old long awaited. For we live in the day when the gospel was given. Strengthen us to live the gospel and do the gospel and proclaim the gospel today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: September 2, 2023
“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT).
King Solomon was the writer of Ecclesiastes. He observed the beauty of how God had assigned everything a season and how these things seemed to repeat over time. Yet, he also observed that God had put an eternal longing in man’s heart, so that he wanted to know and experience more than just what his season on earth allowed.
This “eternity” that God put in humanity’s heart makes us unique in creation. We long for that which will last. We long for ultimate meaning and purpose. We long for God.
Solomon found that everything “under the sun” was “vanity” (empty, meaningless). Why? Because we long for that which is beyond the sun. We long for the Eternal One. As Pascal has been quoted as saying, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” We long for the Eternal One.
PRAYER: Dear Father, We long for You. We long to know You better and to be with You in that place where our longing is satisfied and our tears are wiped away. Until that time, fill us afresh with Your Spirit and strengthen us for the day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: September 2, 2022
DOES YOUR WAY OF LIFE HELP OR HINDER YOUR WITNESS?
Paul told the Corinthians that he and his ministry team were careful to live in such a way that wouldn’t cause people to stumble. He wanted his life to match his message. He reminded the Corinthians of this because they were so easily swayed by fancy words without considering the character and conduct of the speaker.
The reason the world often accuses the church of being filled with hypocrites is because our way of life does not match our message. If we are to reach the next generation, we must heed Paul’s words. We are not called to be perfect. Only Jesus was sinless. But we are called to be transformed, becoming more and more like Jesus as we surrender to the Spirit’s work within us. And we can be real. We can be authentic and humble, loving and forgiving one another, so that our way of life points to Christ.
PRAYER: Dear Father, help us to live in such a way that our walk matches our talk. Examine our hearts and reveal those places where confession and repentance are needed. Fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit. Let others see Jesus in us today. In His name we pray, amen.
From: September 2, 2016
Every time I read this verse, I hear The Byrds singing “Turn, Turn, Turn” in my head. Yet, this passage is more than the inspiration for a 60s song. It is a keen observation on life “under the sun.” As the writer, Solomon, struggled with a search for meaning in life, he observed that everything has a “season” and a “time.” There is an appointed start and finish “time,” and there is a length of time between the beginning and end of a “season.” Just as the sun, moon and earth move through times and seasons set by an unseen hand, so the times and seasons of humanity seem similarly set. Solomon concluded that it is best to just “be joyful and to do good” (Eccl.3:12) in every season, since we have no control over the times. In other words, make the best of things as they are, knowing as the Persian poets have said, “This too shall pass.” Yet, Solomon’s observations were necessarily limited to life “under the sun.” His wisdom did not take into account the larger arc of time that began at creation and will end with the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgment. Those who have heard this revelation from “beyond the sun” are able to do more than just make the best of things. They are able to hope for better things to come because of Jesus.
From: September 2, 2015
King Solomon was the writer of Ecclesiastes. He observed the beauty of how God had assigned everything a season and how these things seemed to repeat over time. Yet, he also observed that God had put an eternal longing in man’s heart that wanted to know and experience more than just what his season on earth allowed. This “eternity” that God put in humanity’s heart makes us unique in creation. We long for that which will last. We long for ultimate meaning and purpose. We long for God. Solomon found that everything “under the sun” was “vanity” (empty, meaningless). Why? Because we long for that which is beyond the sun. We long for the Eternal One. As Pascal said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
From: September 2, 2014
The key to understanding Ecclesiates is the repetitive phrase “under the sun.” Unless there is more to life than what we experience “under the sun,” then life is meaningless. Our only hope for meaning is that there is life “beyond the sun.” Written by King Solomon, the book’s Hebrew title is “Qoheleth” (“Teacher” or “Preacher”). The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) translated the title as “Ekklesiastes” (“the one calling out”). The Teacher is calling out to his hearers explaining that everything “under the sun” is “meaningless” (or “vanity” as in the KJV). This is why believers are to set their sights on the realities of heaven where Christ their Treasure and ultimate meaning dwells (Col. 3:1-4).