Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Wisdom Literature (5)
Pray Psalm 147.1.
Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
Sing Psalm 147.1.
(St. Anne: Our God, Our Help in Ages Past)
Praise God, for it is good to sing loud praises to the LORD!
With joy our songs of praise we bring to God and to His Word.
Read Ecclesiastes 3.1-15; meditate on verses 9-12.
Preparation
1. How should we regard the events of our lives?
2. What’s the best thing we can do?
Meditation
Rejoicing is the first of the “nothing betters” that any of us can do (see also 2.24, 3.22, and 5.18). If we are truly living under the heavens, that is, if our mindset and heartset are to know the Wisdom of God in Jesus Christ and follow Him, then rejoicing will come naturally to us, for we will rest in His sovereignty over all the mysteries and vicissitudes of life.
There is no joy greater than this, and we must be renewed in it day by day and moment by moment. When we can rejoice in every situation, amid all circumstances and conditions, we will be always ready for good works, eager to share the joy of the Lord with others and to encourage them in Him.
Then also we will enjoy all the Lord’s daily provision, taking nothing for granted and giving thanks for all. And we will fulfill our calling with joy and be satisfied with the fruit of our labors, especially as they bless others. Imagine such a life and the impact it would have. No whining or complaining, seeking others to blame or put down, vaunting ourselves and boring others with our attainments, fearing the uncertainties of the day. None of that. Instead, knowing the Wisdom of God—Jesus Christ, with us always—and resting in His sovereignty—these are the keys to rejoicing and doing good.
All this is the gift of God—to live, to know Him, to work, to love, to serve, to enjoy even the smallest everyday blessing, to make the most of every opportunity for doing good. These are God’s gifts of love. They are His Wisdom, calling to and blessing us. Receive Wisdom and His blessings with rejoicing, and employ them with vigor and gratitude for His glory.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Jesus’ time on earth was a daily exercise in doing God’s will.
We need only observe His activities to see Solomon’s words in action:
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…” (Eccl. 3.1).
Before Jesus and His disciples celebrated their last supper together, before His betrayal, before His suffering, before His crucifixion, He said to them:
“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?
‘Father, save Me from this hour’?
But for this purpose I came to this hour.
Father, glorify Your Name” (Jn. 12.27, 28). A time for every purpose under heaven.
Peter, our dear brother in the faith—who several weeks before had been flummoxed by a girl, so much so that he denied knowing Jesus—now filled with the Holy Spirit, stood in a large crowd and spoke these words: “Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it” (Acts 2.22-24). A time for every purpose under heaven.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Heb. 9.27, 28). A time for every purpose under heaven.
The same time and purpose that Jesus lived under during His sojourn on earth, is the same continuum under which we live—a time for everything that God has planned beforehand that we should do (Eph. 2.10).
God has made everything beautiful in its time for His purposes; and He has also put eternity in our hearts.
A realization, an understanding, a comprehension, that this life with its minutes and hours, is not all there is.
There is indeed a now—the present—and the Kingdom work we have been called to do; but there is also eternity—a forever outside of time—with God. And He has sweetly put that hope and encouragement in our minds to help us navigate through life and death, sickness and health, loving and not loving, speaking and silence, and all the other things that make up this season (Eccl. 3.1-8, 11). A time for every purpose under heaven.
Therefore “I know that nothing is better…than to rejoice, and to do good” (Eccl. 3.12).
“See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5.15-18).
But it was also the will of God for Christ Jesus.
And He knocked it out of the ballpark—
Rejoice and do good.
Indeed He did.
Reflection
1. What can keep us from rejoicing in the face of trials or adversity? How can we overcome that?
2. Rejoicing and doing good are major ways the grace of God spreads to others (2 Cor. 4.15). Explain.
3. Whom can you encourage in their walk with and work for the Lord today? Be sure to do so.
Satisfaction with Divine Providence, is having faith that all things work together for good to them that love him. God doeth all, that men should fear before him. The world, as it has been, is, and will be. There has no change befallen us, nor has any temptation by it taken us, but such as is common to men. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3.11-16
Pray Psalm 147.6-13.
Rejoice in the Lord and give thanks for His sovereign rule over all things. Call on Him to strengthen you for this day’s work.
Sing Psalm 147.6-13.
(St. Anne: Our God, Our Help in Ages Past)
The humble God exalts above; the wicked He casts down.
Sing thanks to this great God of love; let songs of praise abound.
He brings refreshing rain to earth and feeds the beasts so dear.
He puts in man’s strength naught of worth, but loves those who God fear.
O praise your God, Jerusalem, O Zion, praise the LORD!
He strengthens those who trust in Him with blessings from His Word.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Read Moore (from the book, Revived!); from Crosfigell, “He Knows What He’s Doing”, on the work of the Holy Spirit; and “More of Jesus” from our ReVision series, “Pray for Your Church.” And new in our bookstore, Let God Be True and Enjoying God, both free to download and share. You might also be interested in our study of the book of Ecclesiastes, which is also available as a free download by clicking here.
Support for Scriptorium comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
