I decided to reread the entire Bible recently. The last time I read it from cover to cover was many years ago. Each time I undertake this task, I am amazed at the new things God reveals. This time around, I found many treasures in the book of Ecclesiastes. The entire book provides such wisdom as it reminds me that everything in the world is temporary. An excerpt from the first chapter is below:
3 “What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? 4 Generations come, and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.”
Ecclesiastes 1
Temporary Things
The sentiment in these verses is both scary and exciting at the same time. It thrills me to realize my troubles and problems in this world are only temporary. Sorrow, illness, strife, and death are not forever. Even our current shelter-in-place situation will not last forever. On the other hand, it disturbs me to think about how everything I work for in this life is also temporary. Our world turned upset down in a matter of a few weeks. Everything I worked for could be destroyed because of this virus. I reflect on my life and the current state of the world after reading the verses above. It sobers me as I question the purpose of my time on this planet.
Treasures
A heaviness settles over my spirit with the weight of the virus on my mind. I search my Bible to find a purpose to be hopeful. I soon find comfort in the words of Matthew 6:20 “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” My countenance brightens, as I grasp what treasures await me in heaven. My family, who passed on before me, are waiting for me in paradise. The reward for my faithfulness in Christ awaits me. Those with whom I have shared the Good News of Christ will be there too. I recall another verse filled with hope from 2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
What are your treasures? Are all your hopes built upon fleeting things that will fade away and disappear along with you? Or are your treasures safe in heaven, waiting for you to claim them again one day? Everything in this world is temporary, so I need to spend my time focusing on things that will make an eternal difference. Where will you focus your efforts?
Blessings,
Yvonne M Morgan, #Blogger, #Speaker, #Writer
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
100% of the proceeds from sales of my book, Turning Mountains Into Molehills, go to help the orphans at Orphan Relief Effort, Inc
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I’ve been rereading the Bible also. I really enjoyed the Major and Minor Prophets. I could see similarities between the societies of then and now. Stay safe, Yvonne. Blessings.
It is very interesting how things repeat themselves throughout our history. I hope you stay safe too. God bless
Great Message Sister and I too am going through the Bible again, I am actually using the “You Bible” on my I pad and I am able to listen to it each day. You are right there are so many things that we can relate to today. God Bless and be safe out there!!
Thanks Stephen. I will check out “You Bible” for next time. Be safe and God bless you too.
Loved the visual and the scripture references! Thanks for your insight and encouragement!
Thanks Mary. Stay safe and God bless
Love how you immediately turn to God’s Word for hope!
He is our only hope. Sometimes we forget this until desperate time remind us. Thanks Ava. Stay safe and God bless
How timely for me — I’m currently reading Ecclesiastes and finding so many great nuggets there! I love how my perspective changes and I notice different things every time I read the Bible. It fascinates me! Great blog. Thank you.
Thanks Jessica. Our Bibles are such living documents where we find the right word for the right time. Be safe and God bless
Yvonne, it is sobering to reflect on the passage in Ecclesiastes. What are we toiling on earth for, what is our purpose in this life. I pray this current crisis has our focus on storing up treasures in heaven.
I am praying that this crisis will help others understand what is truly important in life. We need to focus of storing our treasures in heaven. Thanks Karen. Stay safe and God bless
Powerful message here, Yvonne! I love it when the scriptures come alive to us in a new way as we read. His Word is alive and active. It is really something when we consider that everything we have will be as nothing when we die. Oh Lord, give us eternal vision to focus on your kingdom plans, not our earthly ones!
Yes, we need God’s eternal vision to help us see the really important things in our lives. People and relationships are more important than things but so many seem to have forgotten.
What timely lessons! My husband just found out he has to take a 20% pay cut and work four days a week for the time being. While our finances are in a great place and this doesn’t cause us worry, it certainly made us think about where our treasures are. And then, of course, remembering how thankful we are that we both do have jobs when so many have recently lost theirs. Thanks for this reminder!
Praying for you Emily. God is good and very trustworthy. Be safe and God bless
I love the way you’ve picked this apart, Yvonne. This realization of all that we’ve done being lost, the sense of dismay that this is so, and then this examination of all of the investments we’ve made that are of eternal significance and which will bring great joy to us forever has also been my path of thought and reflection during this pandemic. I’m glad and grateful for the investments of time and effort that have eternal weight, for the people I know and love who are awaiting me in heaven, and for all that we have in the Lord that will last. At the same time, I’m inspired to pray more and to press even more tightly into Christ.
Thanks Melinda. I really got a better understanding since this virus came along. What we have can be gone in an instant. Stay safe and God bless
Yvonne, I too am drawing strength from God’s Word during this challenging time. When I find myself becoming anxious about the worldly, horizontal events and concern I cast my gaze vertically towards God and focus on his promises of eternity and I find my worries tend to dissipate. Blessings to you and your family. Stay well.
So very true, a gaze vertically makes a big difference. Thanks So much. Stay safe and God bless.
A wonderful, and timely, reminder to keep first things first. Thanks and God bless!
We are reminded of a lot during these difficult times. Please stay safe and God bless