ISDAMan
08-12-00, 01:12 AM
Well, I hope that you all kept to the assignment that I left you with. I kept mine though it was not easy. If you have not, I assure you that it will be of a help to you and others around you.
KJV
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
3 If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. 10 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
NLT
1 There is another serious tragedy I have seen in our world.
2 God gives great wealth and honor to some people and gives them everything they could ever want, but then he doesn't give them the health to enjoy it. They die, and others get it all! This is meaningless – a sickening tragedy.
3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and in the end does not even get a decent burial, I say he would have been better off born dead.
4 I realize that his birth would have been meaningless and ended in darkness. He wouldn't even have had a name,
5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than he has in growing up to be an unhappy man.
6 He might live a thousand years twice over but not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else – well, what's the use?
7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough.
8 Considering this, do wise people really have any advantage over fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?
9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind.
10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny.
What's the use? What a splendid question! We should really ask that question every chance we get. It would do us good to ask that question a bunch more often than we do. Why is that? Well, it's quite useful in that we need to examine ourselves and the things we do, especially all of the little things, to see if they fit within the bounds of God's pre-ordained design for our lives. He does have a wonderful pan for each of us and we need to recognize and make use of what He gives us verses Constant Dreaming, Scheming, and Longing for the past. Take advantage of what He has placed before you right now if you ever want God to progress you in your walk with Him. I'll give you a kind of humorous illustration.
-- One day, out in an orange grove in California, a brochure published about the wonderful ski slopes in Oregon is blown by the wind and comes to rest right underneath of a young and unfruitful orange tree. Now, the tree in this story can read and this tree reads all about how the Evergreens on these slopes stay green all year. "Wow, that's amazing!", thinks the tree. You see, this tree wanted to bare fruit more than anything else in the whole wide world. The tree even began to formulate to itself that, if it moved to those mountains, because there must be something about being in those mountains; it would be fruitful in no time at all. After all year round green means year round growth. So, after careful thought and considerable planning, the tree pulls up roots, packs some native soil, and hops a train bound for the frigid ski slopes of Oregon. Immediately, the orange tree is buffeted by the cold of the newfound location that it's planted itself in and simply attributes the stress to getting acclimatized. Of course, the tree would not admit to itself that it was in the wrong climate for which it was designed by God. Soon, the first night fell upon the hapless orange tree and, parched, because it's roots could not reach deep enough to find flowing water, it lingered and suffered wind broken branches and all sorts of damage. That poor immature orange tree was, now, out of its element. The boundaries placed upon it by God, to keep it safe and help it to become fruitful, were done away with. This prodigal tree, of sorts, in this story, never gets to go back to the worm orchard of home. Just as it happens so often in real life, for us, the only fruit this tree ever bore was the fruit of suffering brought on by immature and foolish choices. Eventually, the prodigal tree died and was not even remembered by those that were able to enjoy the fruit of the other trees its age that did eventually bare fruit. The prodigal tree only had giant sickles of ice where oranges should have been. Yes, all of the trees passed in their time. However, those that were satisfied with the ground in which God had planted them survived long and became fruitful many years. The one that was not satisfied had to find out the hard way that there are hardships everywhere and that there are no shortcuts to God’s brand of success. –
So often, we want to uproot ourselves from our situations. I know that I have. Pain, problems, regret, the lure of more, better, and faster, and confusion top the list of reasons why we try to escape the boundaries God set up for us. To end up, spiritually, on that frozen mountain, is a great deal worse than having been born dead. Why be in a rush. If we say that we trust God, then, we must expect that He knows what He’s doing. If He’s in control, then, everything must be all right. Be patient.
Luke 21:19
KJV
In your patience possess ye your souls.
NAS
By your endurance you will gain your lives.
NLT
By standing firm, you will win your souls.
Christian, it really is a sickness that infects us all that makes us to not be satisfied with the Life and the Living that comes from God. We lament because of singleness. We scratch for one more dollar. We clamor to be first on the popularity list. In bitterness, we grumble because of failing health. Let’s not argue with God! He’ll give us our fruit in His time and never before. No, that does not mean you might see what you think to be satisfaction in this life or in the way you think that it should be. Never the less, God will satisfy those that wait upon Him and do not turn away. Remember the race Paul talked about running. Think of the choices you have to make and look to see which choice would keep you within the boundaries God has set for you and which would take you without. Then, the making of choices might be more beneficial to you.
KJV
11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
NLT
11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So why overdo it?
12 In the few days of our empty lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? And who can tell what will happen in the future after we are gone?
In closing, Life is here to live now. There’s no reason to suffer and struggle and fight your way into a fruitful future. I’m sure that we’ve all heard it said or alluded to that trees don’t make fruit by might. They just take it easy. They don’t overdo it. We don’t know how long we’ll be here and what will happen after us. Relax and enjoy the Day the Lord has made!!!
Thank You All For The Opportunity To Take This Time With You!
ISDAMan
KJV
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
3 If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. 10 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
NLT
1 There is another serious tragedy I have seen in our world.
2 God gives great wealth and honor to some people and gives them everything they could ever want, but then he doesn't give them the health to enjoy it. They die, and others get it all! This is meaningless – a sickening tragedy.
3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and in the end does not even get a decent burial, I say he would have been better off born dead.
4 I realize that his birth would have been meaningless and ended in darkness. He wouldn't even have had a name,
5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than he has in growing up to be an unhappy man.
6 He might live a thousand years twice over but not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else – well, what's the use?
7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough.
8 Considering this, do wise people really have any advantage over fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?
9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind.
10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny.
What's the use? What a splendid question! We should really ask that question every chance we get. It would do us good to ask that question a bunch more often than we do. Why is that? Well, it's quite useful in that we need to examine ourselves and the things we do, especially all of the little things, to see if they fit within the bounds of God's pre-ordained design for our lives. He does have a wonderful pan for each of us and we need to recognize and make use of what He gives us verses Constant Dreaming, Scheming, and Longing for the past. Take advantage of what He has placed before you right now if you ever want God to progress you in your walk with Him. I'll give you a kind of humorous illustration.
-- One day, out in an orange grove in California, a brochure published about the wonderful ski slopes in Oregon is blown by the wind and comes to rest right underneath of a young and unfruitful orange tree. Now, the tree in this story can read and this tree reads all about how the Evergreens on these slopes stay green all year. "Wow, that's amazing!", thinks the tree. You see, this tree wanted to bare fruit more than anything else in the whole wide world. The tree even began to formulate to itself that, if it moved to those mountains, because there must be something about being in those mountains; it would be fruitful in no time at all. After all year round green means year round growth. So, after careful thought and considerable planning, the tree pulls up roots, packs some native soil, and hops a train bound for the frigid ski slopes of Oregon. Immediately, the orange tree is buffeted by the cold of the newfound location that it's planted itself in and simply attributes the stress to getting acclimatized. Of course, the tree would not admit to itself that it was in the wrong climate for which it was designed by God. Soon, the first night fell upon the hapless orange tree and, parched, because it's roots could not reach deep enough to find flowing water, it lingered and suffered wind broken branches and all sorts of damage. That poor immature orange tree was, now, out of its element. The boundaries placed upon it by God, to keep it safe and help it to become fruitful, were done away with. This prodigal tree, of sorts, in this story, never gets to go back to the worm orchard of home. Just as it happens so often in real life, for us, the only fruit this tree ever bore was the fruit of suffering brought on by immature and foolish choices. Eventually, the prodigal tree died and was not even remembered by those that were able to enjoy the fruit of the other trees its age that did eventually bare fruit. The prodigal tree only had giant sickles of ice where oranges should have been. Yes, all of the trees passed in their time. However, those that were satisfied with the ground in which God had planted them survived long and became fruitful many years. The one that was not satisfied had to find out the hard way that there are hardships everywhere and that there are no shortcuts to God’s brand of success. –
So often, we want to uproot ourselves from our situations. I know that I have. Pain, problems, regret, the lure of more, better, and faster, and confusion top the list of reasons why we try to escape the boundaries God set up for us. To end up, spiritually, on that frozen mountain, is a great deal worse than having been born dead. Why be in a rush. If we say that we trust God, then, we must expect that He knows what He’s doing. If He’s in control, then, everything must be all right. Be patient.
Luke 21:19
KJV
In your patience possess ye your souls.
NAS
By your endurance you will gain your lives.
NLT
By standing firm, you will win your souls.
Christian, it really is a sickness that infects us all that makes us to not be satisfied with the Life and the Living that comes from God. We lament because of singleness. We scratch for one more dollar. We clamor to be first on the popularity list. In bitterness, we grumble because of failing health. Let’s not argue with God! He’ll give us our fruit in His time and never before. No, that does not mean you might see what you think to be satisfaction in this life or in the way you think that it should be. Never the less, God will satisfy those that wait upon Him and do not turn away. Remember the race Paul talked about running. Think of the choices you have to make and look to see which choice would keep you within the boundaries God has set for you and which would take you without. Then, the making of choices might be more beneficial to you.
KJV
11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
NLT
11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So why overdo it?
12 In the few days of our empty lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? And who can tell what will happen in the future after we are gone?
In closing, Life is here to live now. There’s no reason to suffer and struggle and fight your way into a fruitful future. I’m sure that we’ve all heard it said or alluded to that trees don’t make fruit by might. They just take it easy. They don’t overdo it. We don’t know how long we’ll be here and what will happen after us. Relax and enjoy the Day the Lord has made!!!
Thank You All For The Opportunity To Take This Time With You!
ISDAMan