Ecclesiastes 12

At work I'm very careful about my time. I want to make sure that I make the most of every hour I spend working and I want to demonstrate to my line manager and others I work with that I am being effective and not wasting time on unimportant things. I want to see results from what I do and I know that the best way to make sure my work bears fruit is to make sure I'm working on the right things.

Solomon concludes his book by telling us how we can make the most of our lives and not waste any of the time we have...


Have you ever heard someone say anything like this: 'Well I suppose I might think about God one day but I'm going to have some fun first.'?

A story is told of a circus bear who lived in a cage ten feet by ten feet square. Every day the bear would pace back and forth, ten feet one way and ten feet back. This was its life. Then one day it was time for the bear to retire and they gave him a massive enclosure with trees and landscape in which he could enjoy living out the rest of his life. As they observed the bear however, the saw that all he did was to pace back and forth, ten feet one way and ten feet back, as if he were still in the cage. He had all this new freedom and yet didn't make the most of it because all he wanted to do was to keep living his own small little life.

The best time to know God is now! People think that becoming a Christian is like getting into a cage and that somehow they will have less freedom to enjoy life but the truth of the matter is quite the opposite. Becoming a Christian is about discovering true freedom, forgiveness, life and hope.

Solomon knows that when it comes to thinking about when to know God, we should say 'the sooner, the better'. Why miss out on all God has for us, thinking all the time that our idea of fun is bigger and better than his? This is why Solomon says we should get to know God when we're young if we can. Why waste our life waiting to know God later?

And this is Solomon's conclusion on the matter. We should know and fear and love and obey God, rather than ignore him and think that we know best. His love, his life, his hope, his fun are all way, way bigger than ours and we ignore him at our peril! Living with and for God is right where we should be. We're more free, more ourselves and more alive when we're in God!

A prayer...
Thank you God that you're real and alive and fun and exciting and relevant to me. Forgive me for the times I've tried to live my life without you and help me to give you my everything because you are Lord of all. Please give me a bigger and better perspective on my life so that I can glimpse something of the way you see me. And thank you that because of your forgiveness I can be free to live life to the full and life forever with you. Amen!

Ecclesiastes 11:7-10

Now that I've turned 30, everyone wants to let me know that I'm no longer considered young. I'm an 'old man' apparently. In some ways I feel the same as I did ten years ago and in other ways I feel ten years older than I actually am! Solomon again speaks of perspective, this time for those who consider themselves young. I'll leave you to decide how much that applies to you!


I love young people. Working with adults drains me whereas working with young people energises me. I know for many people it would be the other way around but for me hanging out with a bunch of teenagers for a couple of hours sounds like fun!

Solomon speaks to those who are young but there's a clear message for everyone in what he says. He sees that young people are generally more able to enjoy things than older people. They have a clearer sense of fun and they're exploring and discovering things that older adults are accustomed to or even bored of. Solomon tells young people to go ahead and enjoy their life and have their fun and make the most of it. And to everyone (not just young people) he says we should try and enjoy all the days of our lives (v8). Older adults all too easily lose their sense of fun, exploration and playfulness and I personally think it's a real shame. I think a lot of adults could benefit a lot from learning how to play!

Anyway, there's a balance to be seen here in what Solomon says. Two dangerous extremes to avoid. The first danger is that we only focus on today and this life. We hear Solomon's advice to enjoy every day and that's where we leave it. We think that's what life's all about and we miss the point of the bigger picture. It's shallow and short-sighted. However, the other danger is that we focus so much on the bigger picture of judgement and eternity that it sucks all the fun out of living today. This is equally bad. Solomon says we should hold both in our hearts and minds - The 'now' and the 'not yet'. We should be able to enjoy all the grace to have fun in this life now without forgetting that we will be held to account and there will be an eternity where we will either be punished or forgiven for our wrong actions.

Ask yourself:
- How can I make the most of opportunities to have fun in this life?
- How can I make sure I remember the bigger eternal perspective in my life?

A prayer...
Lord, Thank you that there's more to life than what we experience now. Help me to trust you for forgiveness and remember that there will be an eternity with you in a new and perfect place. Lord, help me not to be anxious but to enjoy living in this certain hope by having all the fun to be had in this life you have given me now and in this way to share the story of the good news with others.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Yesterday it was my 30th birthday and I had an excellent day of relaxing with friends and family, shopping for new toys and scoffing loads of amazing food and drinks. Awesome. It was also great because I felt like the day was open rather than planned and we could make it up as we went along. Nothing was too fixed and it meant that I didn't have to plan everything carefully. I could just relax and we could do whatever we felt like doing.

This kind of switching off from careful planning though, is a break from the norm. Solomon knows how important good planning and hard work is, even with the unpredictability of life...

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

If you're able to invest time, energy or money into something or someone without losing hold of your other responsibilities before God, then go for it! Why not? Who knows what will happen? God does and he may well bring back a reward from what you did. I think of the time I spent leading a 'Romance Academy' for young people to explore the value of sex and relationships. Every now and again I get a text or meet up with someone whose life has been affected by it and they still want to keep in touch or ask for some guidance or just catch up together. Brilliant. It was an investment in people and I only get a little glimpse of what God did and is still doing because of it. Solomon says... 'Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.' (v1-2).

Solomon knows that life is unpredictable. Verse 3 talks about a tree falling. It will fall wherever it falls and we can't predict it. It's like this in life isn't it? So many things we can't predict or affect how they will turn out. And Solomon's response to this truth is to advise against idleness. If we're lazy, we'll miss out (v4). He then talks about how God is at work in all the unpredictability of life, working his creative power in all things (v5). It's a mystery and he likes to surprise us rather than let us see it all in advance so that we can learn to trust him completely. This still doesn't mean we can cop out and be lazy though. God is busy for us as an example of how we should also be at work as life unfolds. It's not stressful work though, if we're trusting him for in all that happens - good and bad.

A prayer - Father God, thank you that I can trust you completely because you are always good and you are in control of everything. Thank you that I can trust you even in the middle of horrible situations as well as when I'm having fun. Thank you that you're always working mysteriously in the unpredictability of life and that you have given me work to do for you too. Please help me to see the opportunities to invest and to live this life to the full - to enjoy it, not endure it. Amen!

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Ecclesiastes 10:16-20

Ecclesiastes 10:16-20


Have you noticed how many people are all too quick to complain about things not being good enough but they're the last ones to volunteer to do something to help make things better? Have you ever noticed yourself displaying this attitude at times? I certainly spot it in my words sometimes. It's easy to join in complaining, especially about those who have authority over us at work, school, college, uni, or outside these places too. Yet if we really cared about the things we moan about, surely we would be the first to jump in with ideas to change things! Sadly, if we're honest - we're plain lazy. We hate the idea of hard work and enjoy griping whereas we ought to be able to enjoy working hard and hate the idea of griping.

Solomon knows the bottom line is if you want things to change, then you're probably the best person to do something about it. Being lazy won't get things done. In fact, it just makes matters worse and then you've got even more to complain about. It's an endless downward cycle.
Through laziness and idle hands, the rafters sag and the house leaks (v18).

Through laziness and idle hands, the king's rule can be leaky too (v16-17).

Through laziness and idle hands, no questions get answered and nothing gets better (v19-20).

A prayer - Lord please help me not to complain unless I'm prepared to do something about it to help. Please help me to stand out as someone who brings solutions and not problems, hope instead of despair, love instead of hate...

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

(A prayer of St Francis)

Ecclesiastes 10:12-15

The way we talk is important. Solomon knows it and for him it's one of the most obvious ways to tell whether a person is wise or stupid...


In my job interview I was asked about my language and the way I speak to young people. I had spent a few minutes outlining the importance of identifying with youth culture and relating to young people and then the panel asked me about my language and how I would relate to young people in school when they're casually swearing. Eek!

The answer I gave was about Ephesians 4:29... 'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.' I told them this is the standard I want to aim for in all my talk with others and especially with my work with young people. They seemed impressed with my answer. Phew!

Of course, that was the easy bit! I knew what I should say in the interview and although I was being sincere and honest, I knew that living it out in practice would be a lot harder to do! Can I really say that I only speak when it's to say things that I know will benefit those who hear me? No way! My mouth runs away with itself sometimes and I find myself rambling on about all sorts of rubbish - even when I'm trying desperately to help someone! Sometimes the best thing for me to do in order to wisely help someone is to just shut up!

I think Solomon gives us 3 ideas about wise people and their words:
- They are gracious. Selfless talk not selfish talk. They do others good (v12)
- They are controlled. Not running away into sin (v13)
- They are to the point and not aimless. (v14)

'If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything' - Mark Twain.

A prayer - Lord, help me to honour you with my words and to be wise and not stupid! Amen!
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