June 1

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 1 - 3

(Prov 3:13 KJV) Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

In today’s reading we come across this verse as we begin the reading of Proverbs. Let me tell you, in Proverbs it is very hard to pick one proverb and comment on it. Each proverb is a lesson in itself. Yesterday, we read 1 Kings 1-4 where Solomon ascended to the throne of Israel and instead of asking for wealth, fame, and other worldly things, he asked God for wisdom to judge the people correctly and an understanding heart. Since Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote much of the book of Proverbs, we can see that he is now commenting on the beauty of having wisdom. The word “happy” is also translated “blessed” in many places in the Old Testament. One of the great blessings that God gives His children is His wisdom. However, we must keep in mind that many times the wisdom of God goes against the wisdom of the world. In our flesh, we may look like we are going opposite the world but in our regenerated spirits, we are in concert with God. In this verse, we also see that a believer is blessed not with just wisdom but with understanding. The understanding in view here comes with being saved. When a person is obeying God, that obedience may go against every bit of logic the world can throw at us. The understanding part that comes in, is proprietary to the body of Christ. While the world looks at us and thinks we are going crazy, our spiritual understanding dictates that whenever we follow the Lord’s wisdom, we are going in the right direction.

The world will never understand the wisdom of God. The only reason that we can understand is because of salvation. Solomon stated that he was blessed or happy that he had the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God in a believer’s life must be guarded. Solomon had a great beginning and he used the wisdom of God correctly, especially in the ruling about the two women and the child. He used the wisdom of God to discover the true mother. However, as he went on in life, he began to get sloppy in his walk and no doubt his sins began to quench the wisdom of God until he quenched the Holy Spirit. We see how his life had degenerated to the point that he began to worship false gods and partook of false religions because he allowed his wives of foreign descent to bring their false religions into Israel. Solomon’s reign was actually the beginning of the demise of the nation of Israel. His descent into false religions led to the split in the kingdom. Solomon was unwise in his choice of wives. His father, David, had five wives but look at the wisdom of Abigail. I am sure Solomon did not have the same discernment his father had in picking wives. His lust overrode his wisdom. This is why I personally think that Solomon wrote his portion of Proverbs early in his reign, while he was still obeying the Lord. Later on in his reign he was too preoccupied with women. Solomon had become divided in his allegiance and a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. God gives each believer wisdom and we must guard ourselves against quenching it or questioning it. Once we start quenching the wisdom of God in our life, we can begin the same decline that Solomon did. We may get to the point that we cross the line and go from using God’s wisdom to ours. Then the trouble starts!

June 2

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 4 - 7

(Prov 6:27 KJV) Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

In today’s reading we come across this verse which asks a very straightforward question. It is in the context of a man going to a strange woman thinking that he is doing something which will have no effects. As we read the chapter, we see it is speaking of wisdom and those who do not use wisdom, are in essence, obeying Satan. For obeying the wisdom of God will keep us aware and out of the snare of the devil. Basically the principle found in this Scripture, is how close can we get to sin or how much sin can we play with before it burns us? This Scripture is telling us that all sin is fire and there is no one who can play with sinful things and not have it affect them. Can any true Christian claim they have toyed with sin and had absolutely no effects in their life? David toyed with sin and the effects were devastating. Solomon toyed with sin and it eventually led to the split of a nation. The whole nation of Israel toyed with sin and it finally led to their demise. God is giving a warning that it is impossible to be sinning without effect. Sin taxes our emotions to the point of making us a nervous wreck. A Christian cannot enjoy the peace of God until they put away sinful things. One of the most destructive ways of sinning a Christian can do is private sinning. It gives the idea that no one is being hurt. Private sinning also tries to give the impression that God is not watching simply because no one else is seeing what is being done.

(Heb 4:13 KJV) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. This verse tells us that nothing we or the unbelievers do behind the scenes will ever go unnoticed. If a down payment on the wages of sin is not given in this world, the entire balloon payment will be given on Judgment Day. This is when the fire that a person takes in their bosom, will really burn them, for eternity. Sin is very offensive to a holy God and that is why true Christians must never entertain the thoughts of just a little bit won’t hurt. How much cyanide does it take to kill a person? All it takes is one little capsule and that is it. Remember the strange fire which caused the death of Nadab and Abihu? When we look at the passages of Scripture which talk about a strange woman, keep in mind that the body of believers is the bride of Christ. When we sin with the strange woman, we are, in essence, committing adultery against God. Those who are unsaved are part of the strange woman until they become saved. (Rev 19:2 KJV) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. God calls the entire body of unbelievers or the Kingdom of Satan a whore because it is the strange woman. It commits fornication with the entire world and this is why we must keep our spiritual antennas up that we take none of its fire in our bosom. We must never toy with the Kingdom of Satan because it will come back to burn us.

June 3

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 8 -11

(Prov 10:22 KJV) The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

In today’s reading we come across this verse when at first glance may look like the Lord is promising material riches to all believers. However, the second part of this verse tells us that material goods are not in view. It states that the Lord does not add any sorrow to His blessings. There are many wealthy people in the world and not one of them can say they are or have been exempt from sorrows. Wealth brings superficial friends, people seek you for what they can get out of you, there is a tendency for some wealthy folks to remain out of the mains stream and just stay hidden. These are some things which can bring sorrows. Having no true friends and not being able to trust some people really amounts to having sorrows. I am sure there are many wealthy people who would trade their wealth for having a stable family or real friendships. Well a materially wealthy person can enjoy the same riches that a materially poor person can. This verse is speaking of the spiritual wealth that God gives His children. The first great blessing which God dispenses is His riches in salvation. When one reads the Scriptures, especially the salvation verses, we will see that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3) and He already sees us as being in heaven, reigning with the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 2:6). The moment a person becomes saved, they are already qualified for heaven, because their sins have been cleansed away and they are totally clean before the Lord (Rev. 14:5).

There is no sorrow in salvation. Here on earth we go through many sorrows and troubles. That is because our saved souls are still attached to our decaying bodies. Our souls are being renewed each day even as the outer man is perishing (2 Cor. 4:16). Here we are still subject to disease, catastrophes, all manner of problems, death, etc. So we still have many sorrows here before we enter Heaven in which there will be no sorrows added. One of the reasons that we suffer sorrows here on earth and the unbeliever does not seem like they are suffering is because they have a soul and body going in the same direction. The believer has a soul and body in opposition to one another. Holiness in the spirit is saying don’t and the flesh with all its sin is saying do! This is why we have sorrows as we see others heading for eternal destruction and we are powerless to stop them. We just pray that the Lord opens their spiritual eyes before they enter eternity. Some of the other great blessings the Lord gives us is peace (Ps. 29:11), forgiveness of sins (Ps. 32:1-2), dwelling in the house of the Lord (Ps. 84:4), spiritual strength (Ps. 84:5), chastening by a Father’s love (Ps. 94:12), fearing the Lord (Ps. 128:4), ability to endure testing (James 1:12). As Christians, the blessings from God through Christ are innumerable and are entwined in our present lives but sometimes we don’t see them. When we go to glory, there shall be so much blessing waiting for the child of God, then we can enjoy them without hindrance of sinful flesh. Then will come the perfect fulfillment of, “and he addeth no sorrow with it.”

June 4

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 12 - 14

(Prov 14:7 KJV) Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which is excellent advice which we all must use sometimes in our life. God is telling us here that there does come a time when you are to excuse yourself from the presence or even the life of someone who is not only a fool concerning the things of this world but especially if they are showing their foolishness concerning the things of the Lord. The first time I heard this verse used was on an episode of All in the Family about the time I became saved. Archie was accusing a priest, played by Barnard Hughes, of trying to escalate the price to repair a scratch that Edith made on his car with a shopping cart. After a few minutes of dialogue, Barnard Hughes quotes that verse. Archie then asks him what he meant by it. Hughes replies, “it means don’t waste your time arguing with an idiot.” Now this does not mean I get my Biblical understanding from TV, but there is truth to the statement that Hughes made. How many times have you tried to speak with people concerning the gospel and they just make a joke out of it or they just come up with non sequitur arguments that try to divert you from the truth and to skew the argument in their direction? Have you ever tried to speak to a hardcore evolutionist about creation? There was even a time in Judah’s history where God instructed Jeremiah not to pray for them. (Jer 7:16) Jesus even gave us advice to not cast the Pearls before the swine. (Matthew 7:6) This statement has been controversial because there is no set rule as to when an unbeliever crosses the line of total hostility to the gospel and at what point we leave them to their own devices. (Prov 1:31)

There comes a time that even for our own health, we have to stop witnessing to hostile people. The Internet has created a great playing field for those who love to debate in insincerity. Also a person can remain anonymous under a pseudonym and be a troublemaker ad nauseum. This can be very taxing on an already taxed body of Christ. This is why each Christian needs to pray for discernment so they will not be caught up in endless arguments which have no reason of existence except for mindless debate. If a person asks a seemingly sincere question, and they are answered responsibly, but they refuse the answer and continue in wrong doctrine trying to convert you, then you must go from their presence. Don’t be fooled, Satan uses Christians mightily to help destroy and discourage other Christians. This is one thing I have seen over and over again. This is why God expects us to use discernment when dealing with people. If you are witnessing to a person and they continually mock and jeer, then you are to leave that person in the hands of the Lord. If you have given them enough witness, both verbal and written, then either one of two scenarios will happen. The Holy Spirit may use it to open their spiritual eyes at a later date or they will give an account on Judgment Day for the witness they received. Either way, you have done your job in faithfulness. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn into endless and insincere debates. You only have a certain amount of time on earth and you don’t want to waste it. Witness with Discernment!

June 5

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 15 -18

(Prov 15:22 KJV) Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives us excellent advice concerning planning. There may come a time in your life when you believe that God may be moving you in a certain direction but you are not sure, this verse tells you how you may be able to understand what God may be doing in your life. First, this verse tells us we need counsel. This word “counsel” actually means a group or session of counselors. This means that we go to not only one but a few to gain a balanced view of the situation. A Christian should only go to those believers that are well grounded in Scripture. Why would you want to trust an opinion to a person who couldn’t even tell you where the book of Isaiah is? Then the verse speaks of “purposes” which means “intentions.” Whenever we purpose to do something in our life when we believe God is moving us, if we gain opinion from the unbeliever or the believer who is unfamiliar with Scripture, it could have a great effect upon the purposes which may be in our future, especially if a big change may be in store. The verse goes on to tell us that if we seek unqualified advice, then our purposes or intentions will be disappointed. The word “disappointed” here may also be understood to mean “break up or frustrated.” This also includes avoiding counsel if we are planning to do something. It is always better to discuss something with spiritually competent people before you embark on a project or change your life. It could save you ruin.

The verse goes on to speak of a “multitude of counselors.” First, the multitude means an abundance of advisors. This is why tapping the wisdom of your best friend alone or even your spouse alone, will not cut it. If God is telling us that we should bathe our decisions in an abundance of counsellors, we better listen. There is also the testimony of Scripture in which there is an abundance of counsel. God gave the Bible written through humans so we humans could identify with the Bible characters. I have a tendency to identify with Peter, especially with the big mouth. We read in Scripture many times, “and Peter answered and said,” but the problem is that we don’t read of anyone asking him a question first! By identifying with the characteristics of Peter, I know immediately I don’t have the gift of mercy. So immediately I know there are certain ministries or jobs that I cannot do. I would be working outside the parameters which God set and qualified me for. The verse goes on to speak of the purposes being “established.” The word “established” actually means “to rise up.”

When we gain competent counsel and we believe that the advice given us is proper, then the purposes which God has for us will begin to emerge and then continue to grow. Let’s say a man feels the Lord is calling him to preach. He goes to his friends first and then his pastor and elders. He has shown some ability in the area of speaking. So the pastor gives him a few chances to speak on Sunday and does a great job in biblical exposition. Now to see if this man is really called to be a pastor, the pastor of the church takes him on hospital visits, nursing home visits, home visits, and other types of ministries done by a pastor. Now at the end of a month, he sits down with the board of elders and the pastor and he says, “I am not so sure that I am being called to be a pastor of a church. I am not too much in favor of personal visits and the other things that pastor does.” So now, a wise pastor would look at him and would tell him to go home and forget about the ministry, right? Wrong! The wise pastor would take into consideration that maybe this man is not called to be a pastor but a preacher. The man may be excellent and simple in his sermon delivery, a natural. So instead of the pastor and elders dismissing him, they would encourage him to come to the church a few nights a week and they could help tune his preaching. So instead of quenching this man’s gift, they worked on it with him and then he starts a preaching ministry and goes from church to campground to Conference center to radio. So the scenario here is that when the man sought the counsel of godly men, they fine tuned his ministry goal and realized that he was not pastoral material, instead, he was gifted to do itinerant preaching. This is the reason that we go to godly people, in concert with prayer and Scripture search, when we believe that something is about to change in our life or if we feel motivated in a certain direction.

Now since this Zion’s Gate goes out to about 6,000 people. Let me just advise that those who feel that God is calling you into the ministry, that you sit down and talk to your pastor before you pull up stakes and go to seminary, just to find out that you were not called but got caught up in the “Sunday Morning Syndrome.” I coin this term in the meaning that when we sit in church on Sunday morning, we love the hymns, the Bible reading, the sermon, and just the spiritual milieu may make us desire to get into the ministry when in essence we are just being caught up in the moment. We can flee with our emotions and this is why God wants us to check our plans with other godly people before we make shipwreck of our lives. God knows your heart’s desire is to serve Him. He gave you the new heart, but allow Him to set up your ministry for you, so this way your plans will rise and your ministry will be a success.

June 6

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 19 - 21

(Prov 21:27 KJV) The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

In today’s reading we come across this verse which teaches us that only those who are truly born again can approach God in the correct manner. In this verse we see that Solomon is speaking that when the unbeliever brings a sacrifice to God, it is an abomination, especially when he brings it with the wrong motives. Remember Cain in Genesis 4? His sacrifice was of fruit and vegetables but God did not accept it because there was no atoning symbolism in them. When Abel offered the sheep to God, it was accepted because it had atoning symbolism. Abel had to kill the sheep which means that blood was spilled which symbolized the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was also another reason within these two sacrifices which made one acceptable and the other one unacceptable. Abel brought his sacrifice with the right attitude but Cain did not. Cain had an evil mindset which was made obvious by the way he murdered his own brother. This is the same way today. When an unbeliever tries to impress God with their great gifts to the church or a wing on a hospital, many people think this impresses God and that there is a place waiting for them in Heaven for their generosity. This is erroneous thinking as gifts to charity do not buy Heaven. The unbeliever has an unregenerate mind which means they are at enmity with God until or if they become believers. Giving gifts is not part of God’s salvation plan. It is all of grace on God’s part and nothing on our part.

God is not against unsaved people giving to secular charities such as Ambulances, Fire Departments, Hospitals, etc. God raises up unbelievers to support these activities so the saved person can donate their money to causes for world evangelism. Let’s look at another sacrifice that is an abomination unto the Lord. It is when a person partakes in a false religion and must adhere to certain teachings with specific works attached to it. In Rome there is a set of stairs that devotees go up on their knees. For every step they endure, 28 years in Purgatory is removed from their sentence. Mormons have to do 2 years missionary service for the church. Jehovah’s Witnesses have to go door to door. Hare Krishna’s make spiritual pilgrimages to India. Judaism still attempts to keep the ceremonial law of God when they were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. All these works for these false religions are all abominations unto God and are brought with the wicked, unregenerate mind. All these works represent the belief that the Lord Jesus Christ was not sufficient to pay for sins and that Heaven must be earned by works. The Bible is teaching us that there is no human sacrifice great enough to supplant the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. These works attempt to set aside the Lord Jesus and this is why they are abominations to God. The only way a person can gain Heaven is through the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, all others will lead to an eternity of damnation. This is why God had counseled Cain to do what was right but Cain had a wicked mind and paid no attention to the counsel he received. Let us serve the Lord with the right motives and intentions.

June 7

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 22 - 24

(Prov 22:6 KJV) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which has great advice for parents. As Christians, if God has allowed you to have children, then it is your responsibility to raise them in the fear and nurture of the Lord. In this manner, when the children have the correct upbringing, hopefully their morals will not depart too far from the teachings and of course, the primary hope is that the children would become saved. So it is important for a child to witness the proper actions of their parents and their devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, and hopefully a faithful church. There is another aspect of this verse that I would like to offer and it is a principle which is applicable to not only physical children, but to new Christians. That principle is the same. We are to train up a new Christian in the faith and hopefully they will live by those foundational principles all their life. When a person becomes saved they are a babe in the Lord and babies need to be fed and nurtured, just like physical babies. (John 21:15 KJV) So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. This is the responsibility of those who are more mature in the faith. There should be new believers classes in every church. I once taught a new believers class at a church I attended and I had about 20 fertile minds. The Assistant Pastor of the church had a streak of envy for some reason. So he had me removed from teaching the class and within a few short weeks, the class dissolved. To be honest, He couldn’t teach a mouse to eat cheese. I bring this up for one reason. Don’t allow church politics or personal enviousness to hurt new Christians. Leave that class alone if there is a teacher bonding well with the students.

Not only should new Christians be taught the true doctrines of the Bible, but they need to be taught how to interpret Scripture and what tools are available to them to better understand the Bible. You would not turn your baby loose on an Interstate Highway, so we shouldn’t turn new Christians loose thinking they will know what they are doing. This is how Satan snares them into following false gospels. The new believers class should be a full year so the new Christians will be under proper tutelage and in that one year, many questions on all subjects will arise and then they could be dealt with. Remember, as babies are in diapers, new Christians are in spiritual diapers and sometimes a new Christian may dirty those diapers with a false belief. It is at that time that the teacher will have to change the spiritual diaper with a true, cleansed doctrinal diaper. Once they have a good introduction to the Bible, a basic knowledge of how to approach the Scriptures, a rudimentary knowledge of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they can then progress onto another level. Once we build a good foundation for the new Christian, there should be decent progress made in their lives as they continue to build on the foundation they received. Growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord is a slow continuous process. When Christians grow slow and progressively in the Lord, they tend to become stronger Christians. Let’s tend the Lord’s lambs gently!

June 8

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 25 - 28

(Prov 25:2 KJV) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives us a little insight into the nature of the Scriptures. First of all we have to see who the kings are. The Bible is very clear as who the kings are but it requires the placement of two Scriptures written about 1500 years apart. (Gen 17:16 KJV) And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Here we see a verse where God is promising the birth of a son to Abraham through Sarah. The verse also tells us that kings are going to come from that lineage. Now did physical kings come from Abraham’s lineage? The answer is yes. Abraham was the chief patriarch of the nation of Israel. So all the kings that were placed in power, were from Abraham. Now is that was is chiefly in view? The answer is no because it was through Isaac that God was going to bring the eternal covenant. So when we look at this verse we have to ask, then what are the kings in view which relate to the eternal covenant of grace? For that answer, we go all the way to the book of Revelation. (Rev 1:6 KJV) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Notice who God says are the kings. The kings are the children of God. We are kings and priests unto God.

Going back to our Proverbs verse we see that each of these verses carries a specific interpretation but when they are properly joined, they harmonize and bring hidden truth to light, even though that was a fairly easy one. This is how God wrote the Scriptures. They are written in a manner which requires you to be a student of the word and not just a reader of the word. Personally, it is hard for me to read the Scriptures because when I come across a passage which has certain words in them, I tend to get out of my easy chair and head for my desk to do a word study. And so goes the opportunity of just being able to read the word for relaxation. The Bible is so rich in meaning and meets every possible need a Christian may ever have in this world. For us to gain that meaning it is necessary for us to purposely make time to study and really get into the word. Many times studies are read and we can go through them quickly but the person who wrote that study probably spent many hours arriving at the conclusion they did. Searching and comparing the Scriptures is a time consuming event and should never be entered into lightly. The Holy Spirit wrote the Scriptures in such a way that only He can interpret them and this is why unbelievers can never really glean the spiritual truths from the Scriptures. They may be able to glean the historical and maybe some of the moral truths, but without the Holy Spirit guiding them, the Bible becomes a book of Do’s and Don’ts. The real pearls of Bible truth remain hidden in the field of Scripture. So let us joyously exercise the glory of our kingship and find those hidden pearls in Scripture. God didn’t say He wouldn’t reveal them, he just said they were hidden. We will discover what He allows us outside of the confines of Deut. 29:29. (Deu 29:29 KJV) The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

June 9

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 29 - 31

(Prov 29:1 KJV) He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which shows the mercy God has when He wants to get our attention. The word “reproved” has been translated in the Book of Proverbs as “correction” (3:11) and “reproof” (1:30). The principle I want to bring out is that before a person normally suffers some type of hardship for a sin, God will send people to warn them. Now I believe that this passage is speaking directly to unbelievers because it reveals that there will be no remedy. The unbeliever is the only one who is destroyed and has no remedy for their sins. I want to comment on the principle that when God’s children are going down a wrong path, whether intentionally or unintentionally, God will always send someone across their path to help them see that if they continue in the wrong direction, then there will be sorry consequences. Let us say two people want to start a business but they are really not the type of person who could run a business. So they begin to tell folks at church about their plans. The ones who know them the best have seen their lack of business acumen and begin to counsel them that they will probably run into problems and it is best not to start the business. Well, they see themselves as real good businessmen and undertake the venture. In six months they fold and have amassed huge debt. You see they were warned by some friends who did not want to see them go under but they did not listen and reaped the consequences of their actions.

This is a created scenario but I can guarantee that this type of event has happened to each of us in our lives, some on a smaller scale and some on a larger scale, all because we think we are capable but no culpable. The principle of a pre-warning is found in Scripture. (Amos 3:7 KJV) Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. God revealed His plans to Abraham concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. God also revealed His plans to some of His other prophets in the Bible. He has also revealed to every Christian the awfulness of Hell and the necessity of sending forth the gospel. On a personal note, God will always send someone across our path if we are going in the wrong direction. Now another test within this might be the fact that God might send someone that we are not particularly fond of. How many husbands have asked for their wife’s advice and then did what they wanted to anyway? Many lives have been wrecked because pride has done the negotiations for people. As Christians whenever we are doing something which seems wrong to another Christian, it behooves us to check it out because it may save us much heartache down the road. This is a tremendous kindness God does for us because He knows walking in this world has enough problems for us to deal with and He is saving us from the consequence of more problems. Let us be careful that we do not reject the warnings that God may be giving us, even if it comes from an unlikely source.

June 10

Today’s Reading - Ecclesiastes 1- 3

(Eccl 1:9 KJV) The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives a good summation of what the futility of life is. There is nothing new! Sin is sin and although there may be variations on each specific sin, the truth is that whatever sins are being committed to day have been committed in the past. Solomon is pointing out that this life on earth seems to be a futile entity. Surely if you look at the vainness of life through the eyes of an unbeliever you will see the vanity of life. Even as Christians we look at our daily routine and we may see a rote lifestyle. We go to bed at night, we get up for work, we have breakfast, we drive to work on crowded highways, we get to work only to be abused by the boss we are making rich with our talents, we finish the day, we drive home on crowded highways, come home, make supper, watch TV, and then go to bed and it all starts over at the break of dawn. We sit down and make an inventory of our life and we see that we are no better off than the last generation, who did the very same things we did. What did it get them? It got them a tombstone with a “-” to describe their entire life. After this generation is gone, the next generation is going to do the same thing we did. They may do it a little bit more modern than us but the principle will be the same. Did you ever notice that all the time saving devices we have now, haven’t saved us 1 second of time? We are more harried than the last generation.