Today we are reading Ecclesiastes 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11:1-6.  Leave a comment and share an insight if you like!  I’d love to hear from you!  After you finish today’s reading, come on back –

We have to take our nuggets of wisdom where we can! How about these:

“A good reputation is better than a fat bank account.
Your death date tells more than your birth date” (7:1 MSG)

“On a good day, enjoy yourself; on a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won’t take anything for granted” (7:14 MSG)

Solomon is discouraged, but he still demonstrates wisdom about faithfulness and hard work.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. I’m so sad about Solomon’s rebellion.

Like we did with Job’s friends, we’re going to have to search for the helpful advice among all of Solomon’s despair here – it is there if we look! How about this, almost sounding like a proverb again:

“Watch your step when you enter God’s house.
    Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice,
        Doing more harm than good….
God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better” (Ecc. 5:1, 2 MSG)

With all his accomplishments, it’s so sad that Solomon feels his life has come to nothing.  However, without the Lord at the center, what could he expect?  We need to make the Lord the center of our lives if we are to truly find value.

Today, we’ve got a little list – we’re reading 1 Kings 11, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, and Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.

“Solomon openly defied God; he did not follow in his father David’s footsteps. He went on to build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the horrible god of Moab, and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a hill just east of Jerusalem. He built similar shrines for all his foreign wives, who then polluted the countryside with the smoke and stench of their sacrifices. God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel, the God who had twice appeared to him and had so clearly commanded him not to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God’s orders” (1 Kings 11:6-10 MSG)

It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? It’s so hard to believe that someone as wise as Solomon would make the choice to rebel against God.  In the context of Solomon’s rebellion, Ecclesiastes seems even more mournful and hopeless than it had before.

“Nobody remembers what happened yesterday.
    And the things that will happen tomorrow?
Nobody’ll remember them either.
    Don’t count on being remembered” (Ecclesiastes 1:11 MSG)

What a sad end.  Let’s appreciate the good things we learned from Solomon and respectfully disagree with him here: what you do is valuable, what you do will create some kind of legacy.  Solomon writes “don’t count on being remembered” and here we are, thousands of years later.  Heartbreaking, huh?

Today we are reading Song of Solomon in its entirety.  Ready, set go!

I’m glad to have this entire book over in one day! Solomon gives us a beautiful picture of love within marriage, some can also be applied to God’s love for us (how fierce, how protective….)

“Love is invincible facing danger and death.
    Passion laughs at the terrors of hell.
The fire of love stops at nothing—
    it sweeps everything before it.
Flood waters can’t drown love,
    torrents of rain can’t put it out” (Song 8:6-7 MSG)

God’s love for us is so strong, and sets such an example!

(but if I’m being honest, some of Song of Solomon is a little weird for me!  Anyone else ready to move on?) Leave a comment – especially if you have an insight to share!

Today we’ve got Proverbs 22:17-29, 23, and 24.  So much truth!

“Listen carefully to my wisdom;
    take to heart what I can teach you.
You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within;
    you’ll give it bold expression in your speech.
To make sure your foundation is trust in God,
    I’m laying it all out right now just for you.
I’m giving you thirty sterling principles—
    tested guidelines to live by.
Believe me—these are truths that work,
    and will keep you accountable
    to those who sent you” (Proverbs 22:17-21 MSG)

Thirty sterling principles – I like that phrase. Being a good guest, prioritizing intelligence over physical strength, how to be an adult who is a blessing to your parents….

“Dear child, if you become wise,
    I’ll be one happy parent.
My heart will dance and sing
    to the tuneful truth you’ll speak” (Proverbs 23:15-16 MSG)

“It’s better to be wise than strong;
    intelligence outranks muscle any day” (Proverbs 24:5 MSG)

Proverbs is so easily applicable to us AND so simple to implement.  Not always EASY to implement, but definitely SIMPLE!

Powering through the Proverbs! This morning we are reading 20, 21, and 22:1-16.  What stands out you today?

If you know me, you know I like any verse or advice that deals with planning ahead! That is music to my type-A ears!

Another favorite proverb:

About halfway through the Proverbs!  Let’s read Proverbs 17, 18, and 19 today.  Instruction on wealth, friendship, parenting – Solomon certainly covers a lot of ground!

 I love the verses on correction – we should not rush to correct, but we shouldn’t avoid it either (whether we have to receive the correction or administer the correction).  Please, please learn to accept correction as protection. As a parent (whether you can relate to having one or being one), you protect your child by offering correction: “Don’t touch the stove, you’ll burn your hand” or “don’t steal – that is a sin and crime with serious consequences”.  There isn’t a break in relationship because of the correction, there isn’t less love because of the correction – I would say there is even more love.  You correct those you care for – you also receive correction from those you respect.  Correction helps us be better, and who doesn’t want to be better?

I love how the Message translates this one: 

“People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?” (Proverbs 19:3 MSG)

Amen!

Today is Proverbs 14, 15, and 16.  So much wisdom – of course, Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived!  We’re about halfway through proverbs and you are doing great!

“we plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it “ (Proverbs 16:9 MSG).  

Such good advice! We can develop great habits and have great intentions, but without God at the center we won’t succeed.

Today, we’ve got Proverbs 11, 12, and 13. Are you finding Proverbs to be reminders of what you already knew or encouragement to continue what you are doing or is this new altogether?  I guess I could say yes to a little bit of all three!

Solomon always presents two sides of the coin: two choices with two different sets of effects.  Like this:

“Moral character makes for smooth traveling;
    an evil life is a hard life” (Proverbs 11:5 MSG)

These are not necessarily rewards and punishments. They are more choices and consequences. If you do this, good will happen. If you do the other, do not expect good to happen.  Truth and love and peace and wisdom, though they do not seem popular, will always win out in the end.

Today it’s Proverbs 8, 9, and 10 for us!  Let’s get it done this morning, and see what we can learn!

“the road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you’re lost for good” (Proverbs 10:17 MSG).

Amen. Making a point, purposefully making wise and right decisions consistently brings blessings and peace.  We don’t accidentally stumble into this stuff: we choose wisdom or folly by our actions every day!