Governmental Waste

The highest test of a civilization is its willingness to extend a helping hand to the less fortunate. Like an individual, it lifts itself up by lifting others up.

Booker T. Washington

Read

Let's look at Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 today. Write a sentence long summary of what Solomon is saying. Do you know anyone in this situation? When was the last time you were frustrated at the oppression of the poor?

Think

It is easy to place blame on governments for the oppression of the poor. It's easy to be angry at
corrupt and powerful politicians for the plight of those less fortunate than us. And that anger is justified. But why are we surprised? Power has always had a corrupting influence, and it is the rare and special person who is not affected.

When we hear of governments skimming relief aid and taking bribes from large companies, and when we see the oppression and genocide that runs rampant throughout the world, and we feel the white hot flames of social justice rising in our cheeks, let's remember that these atrocities are not new, and let's temper our outcry with what Paul tells us in Romans:

Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Romans 13:1-7

But never, never expect utopia to come to a Capitol near you. Heaven on earth cannot be established at the ballot box, but only through the hearts of men. One day we will see the descent of the New Jerusalem, and there will be at last, one Governor before whom we'll bow, with no more use for intermediaries; one Party to serve, with no more use for debate or dissention; one Lord, one faith, one baptism into the world that has always been our destiny as His divine constituency.

David Jeremiah, Searching for Heaven on Earth

Pray

Make it a point this week to pray for the oppressed, that they will find relief from their trouble, and that you might be an agent for that relief in some way. While you do that, pray that you would be willing to submit to and show appropriate respect for those in governmental positions.

Do

As you watch the news, read the paper, and talk to friends about the world situation this week, make it a point to speak respectfully of those in governmental positions, and look for ways that you can personally be involved in caring for those who are oppressed by powerful people.

God In My Pocket

We learn by using what we already know as a bridge over which we pass to the unknown. It is not possible for the mind to crash suddenly past the familiar into the totally unfamiliar. Even the most vigorous and daring mind is unable to create something out of nothing by a spontaneous act of the imagination.

A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

Read
Today's passage is Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. Keep in mind the last time you were in a worship service. How are these attitudes similar to your own? Solomon addresses 3 areas in which we tend to use God. Can you spot them?

Think
We operate from what we know and what we think is best. That's really all we can do, isn't it? Too often, though, what we know is incomplete. Especially when things are going wrong or when our lives don't turn out quite like we'd hoped, we default to 3 basic responses:

Blaming God
Verse 1- Has your mom ever said "watch your step" as a warning to be careful how you speak to her? Or as my dad still says, "watch it." It's easy to get so fed up with oppression and the evils of the world that we approach God carelessly, forgetting that He is really the One with perfect knowledge and eternal perspective. No matter how frustrated we become, we should always remember that He is God and we are not.

Lashing Out
Verses 2-3- We are all hurt and angry at circumstances in our lives. None of us get through this life unscathed. The easiest thing for us to do, especially in the heat of our emotion, is to speak rashly in anger. Before we lash out at the One who is working all things for our good, let's stop to think that He is in Heaven, we are on earth, and our foolishness cannot be hidden once spoken.

Bribes Galore
Verses 4-7- Have you ever said, "God, if you get me out of this, I'll..."? These days it's no big deal to break a promise, but Scripture makes it clear that the wise person is someone who keeps his word. Especially when dealing with someone who is so high above us, care should be taken that we are not frivolous with our vows. Let's be careful that we are not attempting to bribe God, as if we could.

"Forgiving God is a term I'd rather avoid. It implies that God has done something wrong that requires our pardon. We should underline the statement that by the perfection of his nature, He will not and cannot do wrong. What seems like misdeed is mystery. The important thing to remember is that His love and compassion are perfect, unbroken, and forever."

David Jeremiah, Searching for Heaven on Earth

Pray

Ask God to help you see Him at work in the events all around you, to help you be aware of His Presence. Thank Him for the calamities He's helped you avoid, and ask Him to help you trust that He knows what He's doing when hard times come.

Do

Concentrate on your attitudes toward God as you read this. Are you angry at Him for something? Do you try to use God to get out of sticky situations? Are you quick to blame Him for the bad circumstances in your life? Look around at things that happen all around you. For what can you be thankful? How does God take care of you on a daily basis?

Greater Than the Sum

A man who has friends must show himself friendly.

Proverbs 18:24

Read

Today let's look at Ecclesiastes 4:7-16. It's a familiar section of Scripture, but look at it with fresh eyes, thinking about each verse with your own life in mind. Place brackets around each of the three parts of this section, and label them.

Think

Here are my labels:

Pursue relationships over work because people make your job worth doing. How many lonely souls have put off family and devalued friends in the pursuit of their career? We'll never know. They are rich in possessions, but impoverished in relationships. What are we really working for if all of our time is spent at work, thinking about work, or on-call 24/7? Let's value our family and friends enough to turn off our phones, shut down our computers, and disconnect from work for a while. We'll be happier and more productive if we do.

Pursue relationships for our own good. Work is more fun with someone else. Life is easier with someone who can share our burdens and pick us up when we're down. The warmth of a friend is better than facing the cold alone. The world is a much safer place with a couple of friends to fight with. People who have close inter-personal relationships live longer, healthier, and happier than those who do not. And Proverbs tells us that to have friends we need to be a friend.

Pursue relationships over fame and popularity because they last longer. Solomon speaks of a king and two young men. Maybe he's talking about Saul and the next two kings of Israel. One king was old and foolish, and would not listen to instruction, while a young man was growing in popularity. Sounds like Saul and David to me. Then that young man, after being popular for a while, was overshadowed by another young man. Solomon? The point remains, though, that fame and power and popularity are fleeting. They have no lasting value. Relationships, though, give life and they last a lifetime.

Pray

Ask the Lord to help you to find time to disconnect from work or school for a while each day and focus only on family and friends.

Do

Consider your work schedule. Are you over-worked? Do you feel that you can turn off your cell-phone for a couple of hours a day and just spend time with your family? Is your laptop constantly on so you can catch those e-mails as soon as they come into your inbox? Do you have 3-4 really close friends that you spend time with, that you can share the most difficult struggles of your life with?

Life From God's Perspective

We are often destitute of the things that life demands,
We want of food and want of shelter, thirsty hills and barren lands;
We are trusting in the Lord, and according to God's Word,
We will understand it better by and by.

Charles Tindley

Read

Today let's look at Ecclesiastes 4:1-6. This "under the sun" section is divided into 2 paragraphs, and they don't seem to have much in common. Read it a second, or even a third time, thinking about what in the world they have to do with each other.

Think

Solomon takes us to more evil under the sun. More things to confuse us, to make us wonder about whether or not God knows what He's doing, if He even exists. First, we have oppression. Powerful people oppress the weak and poor. It's a fact of life. Second, the workplace is full of both over-competitive and lazy people. The bosses relentlessly fight their way to the top, and the lazy people do just enough to live.

But then there are those people who live above it all.

In the midst of oppression, though it seems it would be better to never have been born, there are always those people who seem to be unaffected and unwavering in the face of their oppressors. In the workplace, there are those who don't seem to be concerned with getting ahead, yet they are productive, not just getting by.

The common thread?

If our mindset is under the sun, we will never be able to reconcile the oppression of the poor with the idea of a good and just God. If our mindset is under the sun, we will either be consumed with getting ahead at work, or we will do just enough to get by. Living life in God's perspective, though, allows us to know that oppression happens, but God is the ultimate judge. Living life in God's perspective allows us to realize that there are more important things in life than that next promotion or raise, and at the same time gives us purpose and meaning in our work.

Help us indeed to be content, Lord, in the pleasant valley between too much and too little; between slavery and sloth; between overcompeting and underperforming. There, in that valley where heaven meets earth, we can walk with our hand in Yours rather than grasping at the wind.

David Jeremiah, Searching for Heaven on Earth

When Justice Is Unjust

Though the mills of God grind slowly yet they grind exceedingly small, though with patience He stands waiting with exactness He grinds all.

William Wadsworth Longfellow

Read

Ecclesiastes 3:16-22. Are these verses comforting or troubling to you? Write down some of your initial thoughts about this section of Scripture.

Think

Everyone experiences injustice. Have you ever been the victim of a hit and run, or in an accident with an uninsured motorist, or a drunk driver? Have you ever been wrongly accused, or know someone who has? Do you ever look around the world at war, disease, death, and poverty and wonder, "Where's the justice?" Does it seem like the rich and powerful always get their way, while the poor struggle through life from paycheck to paycheck, if they even have that?

You are not alone.

Solomon looked around, and in the place of justice was wickedness. Criminals were in the streets while people who were innocent were in prison. It's kind of the same today. And this is a problem, unless God is a part of your worldview. Without an ultimate judge, injustice reigns. But as Solomon points out, no one, not even the rich, escapes death. And it is then that justice is executed, not only on public crimes, but also in the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

So all that's left is to enjoy life, to live it well and pursue true happiness, which we've already established is in thankfulness for and celebration of God's good gifts. We can relax, because we know that all evil will be punished, and all good will be rewarded. And we who are secure in the love of Christ can rest easy, unafraid of death, looking forward to an eternity of life with God.

Pray

Thank God for bringing justice, even if we can't see it right now. Pray for patience to endure injustice without losing your cool. Pray for someone you know or have heard of that is currently experiencing injustice, that they would be secure in God's timing.

Do

Do some research into some of the injustices currently going on in the world. Find out about persecution of Believers, disease and poverty in war-stricken areas, and then support Christian organizations who attempt to bring the hope that Christ gives to people who have no hope.