From time to time, Pastor Karen Crawford and I will post each other's meditations. Karen's daily meditations can be found at the "Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Renville, MN" Facebook page. On this day, I want to share her meditation for today.
Good morning, friends!
So much of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes is fun to read! This book is full of interesting verbs that bring imagery to mind. In today’s reading, we find verbs such as “send out,” “divide,” empty,” “falls,” “observes,” “sow,” “regards,” and “reap.”
It is hard to believe that the author of Ecclesiastes lived thousands of years ago because so much of what he talks seems applicable to our time.
The first line of our reading is one that Christians have quoted to encourage me to take action when I felt God leading me to do something that the world might view as “risky.” So when I felt nervous about going off to seminary in 2005, I remembered:
“Send out your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will get it back.”
It kind of sounds like karma, doesn’t it? But it isn’t meant that way. Christianity is about service and giving the sacrifice of your labors, talents, and heart to the Lord. You do everything because you love God and not because you expect something in return.
Still, what you “invest” in God will come back to you in the blessings of joy and peace on earth and in the building up of treasure in heaven. This “treasure” is one of those mysteries we won’t understand fully until we are in heaven!
This next verse seems to talk about worldly investments—saving up for a “rainy day.” It makes sense.
“Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,
for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.
When clouds are full,
they empty rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.”
And this final verse I will mention reminds me of yesterday’s devotion, when I talked about how we tend to fixate on the weather, to the neglect of evangelism and thinking about heavenly things, including our own salvation.
“Whoever observes the wind will not sow;
and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.”
I hope these devotions that Jim and I write each day encourage you to read the Bible more and feel more confident in finding meaning for yourself. I hope that you are seeing applications to your own life that might be completely different than what I see. And that’s great!
Let God’s Words speak to you today. May they fall like a gentle rain, watering your soul and healing mind, body, and heart.
Thank you for listening!
Prayer: Holy and merciful Father, thank you for your Word that carries truth for every generation. Give us time and desire to read more of your Word. Open our ears so we hear your voice above all the noise of life. Remind us to encourage other sisters and brothers in the Lord today that they are doing a good job, that they are faithful servants. I know so many of them, just in this community! Help us to be the presence of Christ for our families, our friends, and our neighbors. In Him we pray. Amen.
Today’s readings are Ecclesiastes 11:1-8; Galatians 5:16-24; Matthew 16:13-20; and Psalm 74.
Blessings in Christ!
Pastor Karen
Good morning, friends!
So much of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes is fun to read! This book is full of interesting verbs that bring imagery to mind. In today’s reading, we find verbs such as “send out,” “divide,” empty,” “falls,” “observes,” “sow,” “regards,” and “reap.”
It is hard to believe that the author of Ecclesiastes lived thousands of years ago because so much of what he talks seems applicable to our time.
The first line of our reading is one that Christians have quoted to encourage me to take action when I felt God leading me to do something that the world might view as “risky.” So when I felt nervous about going off to seminary in 2005, I remembered:
“Send out your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will get it back.”
It kind of sounds like karma, doesn’t it? But it isn’t meant that way. Christianity is about service and giving the sacrifice of your labors, talents, and heart to the Lord. You do everything because you love God and not because you expect something in return.
Still, what you “invest” in God will come back to you in the blessings of joy and peace on earth and in the building up of treasure in heaven. This “treasure” is one of those mysteries we won’t understand fully until we are in heaven!
This next verse seems to talk about worldly investments—saving up for a “rainy day.” It makes sense.
“Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,
for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.
When clouds are full,
they empty rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.”
And this final verse I will mention reminds me of yesterday’s devotion, when I talked about how we tend to fixate on the weather, to the neglect of evangelism and thinking about heavenly things, including our own salvation.
“Whoever observes the wind will not sow;
and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.”
I hope these devotions that Jim and I write each day encourage you to read the Bible more and feel more confident in finding meaning for yourself. I hope that you are seeing applications to your own life that might be completely different than what I see. And that’s great!
Let God’s Words speak to you today. May they fall like a gentle rain, watering your soul and healing mind, body, and heart.
Thank you for listening!
Prayer: Holy and merciful Father, thank you for your Word that carries truth for every generation. Give us time and desire to read more of your Word. Open our ears so we hear your voice above all the noise of life. Remind us to encourage other sisters and brothers in the Lord today that they are doing a good job, that they are faithful servants. I know so many of them, just in this community! Help us to be the presence of Christ for our families, our friends, and our neighbors. In Him we pray. Amen.
Today’s readings are Ecclesiastes 11:1-8; Galatians 5:16-24; Matthew 16:13-20; and Psalm 74.
Blessings in Christ!
Pastor Karen
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