A Love for: Ecclesiastes

I think I can confidently say that Ecclesiastes is one of my most favorite books in the bible. It's kind of odd, but it speaks to my soul and keeps me rooted. :)

As I enter into a new semester and new year, I need to be reminded that all my worldly pursuits lead to vanity, "a striving after wind" (Ecc 1:14). What I am hopeful for in the coming days is to experience something like Ecclesiastes 3: 11-13, being joyful because "He has made everything beautiful in its time" and take pleasure in all my work and all that life has to offer. I guess this is my new year's resolution. Of course, God needs to be in picture for all this to happen.

Lord, help me to know and love your ways. I want to live life and love your people. Help me to do so according to your will, day by day. There's much to be done and much to learn this year. I want to make it count. No more fooling around and wasting my days. Please help me to put you first. Please, lead the way.

Always and only, in Christ, amen.

Ecclesiastes 3 (ESV)

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

              a time to be born, and a time to die;

              a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 

              a time to kill, and a time to heal; 

              a time to break down, and a time to build up; 

              a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

              a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 

              a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

              a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

              a time to seek, and a time to lose;

              a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

              a time to tear, and a time to sew;

              a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

              a time to love, and a time to hate;

              a time for war, and a time for peace.

What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil - this is God's gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?

Psalm 27 (NIV)

Of David.

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? 

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

 ² When the wicked advance against me to devour me, 

it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 

³ Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; 

though war break out against me even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: 

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, 

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 

⁵ For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; 

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent 

and set me high upon a rock.

⁶  Then my head will be exalted abovethe enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; 

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, LORD; 

be merciful to me and answer me. 

⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek. 

⁹ Do not hide your face from me, 
do not turn your servant away in anger; 

you have been my helper. 

Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. 

¹¹ Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 

¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, 
spouting malicious accusations. 


¹³ I remain confident of this: 

I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD; 

be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 139 (ESV)

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 

²You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

³You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
⁵You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.


⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.


¹³For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book 
were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.


¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I would count them, they are more than the sand. 
I awake, and I am still with you.


¹⁹Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
²⁰They speak against you with malicious intent; 
your enemies take your name in vain!
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²²I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.


²³Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; 

   the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

2 Day after day they pour forth speech; 

   night after night they reveal knowledge. 

3 They have no speech, they use no words; 

   no sound is heard from them. 

4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, 

   their words to the ends of the world. 

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 

 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, 

   like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 

6 It rises at one end of the heavens 

   and makes its circuit to the other; 

   nothing is deprived of its warmth.

 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, 

   refreshing the soul. 

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, 

   making wise the simple. 

8 The precepts of the LORD are right, 

   giving joy to the heart. 

The commands of the LORD are radiant, 

   giving light to the eyes. 

9 The fear of the LORD is pure, 

   enduring forever. 

The decrees of the LORD are firm, 

   and all of them are righteous.

 10 They are more precious than gold, 

   than much pure gold; 

they are sweeter than honey, 

   than honey from the honeycomb. 

11 By them your servant is warned; 

   in keeping them there is great reward. 

12 But who can discern their own errors? 

   Forgive my hidden faults. 

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; 

   may they not rule over me. 

Then I will be blameless, 

   innocent of great transgression.

 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart 

   be pleasing in your sight, 

   LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.