Enjoy Life

Ecclesiastes 9 begins with the fact that all mankind will eventually die. The wicked along with the righteous have the same fate. The living are better than the dead in that they still have time to evaluate their life and how they are living, whether for God or self. Verses 7-10 then point out that believers should enjoy their life rather than despair over the fact that death will come. Solomon has written this fact before in chapter 3:13. God has given us good gifts to enjoy, food, family perhaps a spouse. He has also given us "toil" (our responsibility) of working on this earth. All these things can and should be enjoyed. Colossians 3:17 is a good reminder that "whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." How about you? Are you enjoying your life as God has given you? Whether you are a single woman searching God's will, a wife who is keeping her home, a mom caring for her children, an elderly woman in a nursing home, or a woman who is serving God in the church, you can serve God with joy. It is God's gift to you. Tell us, what are some things you are thankful for?

But Why?

Why?????? So often we wonder and ask just why God would allow the righteous to suffer? Our heart is truly to encourage you today where you are at. Maybe you are going through a difficult time right now and are discouraged in your walk with God. Read 1 Peter 2:19-23 and see how God calls us to suffer. We are then given the example of Christ and how He unjustly suffered for OUR sins and did not complain or ask Why? Another aspect to think through is that God has already answered our Why? question of suffering. Here it is: (James 1:3) "the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" and (Romans 5:3) "suffering produces endurance." Wow! Have you ever thought about how that is an answer to the Why? of suffering? Romans 5:3 challenges us to REJOICE in our sufferings. So you may never know all that God is doing when you go through difficult times, but be assured, you can go through trials with joy knowing that God is working in you to grow more like Christ. (Romans 8:28-29). Can we pray for you today? If you wish, comment on this post (you can do so anonymously) and let us know how we can pray for you. We trust God will use these truths to encourage you as you strive to honor Him.

Suffering of the Righteous

Ecclesiastes 8:12-14, reveal to us that the wicked will do evil and seem to prevail and the righteous will do good and suffer. What truth is an encouragement to the righteous during this time? Verse 12 says that "it will be well with those who fear God." Verse 13 says "it will not be well with the wicked...because he does not fear before God." Although on this earth, it may seem that the wicked prevail, the believer can have confidence that in the end, the wicked will be judged. Psalm 37 is a wonderful piece of Scripture that reminds the righteous to trust and commit their way to God despite the wicked's apparent success. What about you? Do you despair over the seeming success of those who do not fear God? Are you content to suffer and have "just enough" while serving God here on earth. Scripture promises that it will be well for those who fear God. Remember Romans 8:28-29? All things will work for our good. Even suffering is a good thing as it is a way that God uses to conform us more to Christ.

Encouraging Our Leaders

As we look at being obedient to the authority of the land in which we live, we also realize that we can be an encouragement to those who hold office and make decisions which affect our lives. Here's some ways that you can be an encouragement to our nation's leaders:

1. Pray for our leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Call, write or email them and ask them how you can pray for them. Pray that they would pass and enforce just laws.
2. During elections, know who you are voting for. Research the candidates and know who will stand for godly principles.
3. In a proper manner, make calls/send emails to your representatives telling them you agree or disagree with an issue and why. Be sure you have prayed and considered the timing of your disagreement (Eccl. 8:6)

Obedience to Authority

Ecclesiastes chapter 8 opens up the topic of discussion on obedience to authority - to leaders and laws of the land. Have you ever thought about various ways that you may struggle with obedience to laws in your country? What about car safety - speed limits, seat belts, car seats for kids or tax laws, business laws, etc...? Do you strive to be obedient to the laws of the land whether you agree with them or not? Romans 13:1-7 is another section of Scripture that gives believers direction obedience to authority: "Let every person be subject to governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God...therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed..." All believers are to place themselves under the authority of the laws of our country. How we react when we disagree with a law is an indication of our heart, whether we are willing to be submissive to God's leading or not. God instituted authority and as we obey human authority, we are obeying and honoring our Heavenly Father. So next time you think about driving a little faster or disregard any other law, remember you are really disobeying God. Think about it and let us know what you think.

A Biblical Response to Hurt

How can we not be offended when others speak wrongly of us? Ecclesiastes 7:21 says, "Do not take to heart all the things that people say..." It is difficult to choose to not be offended when we are spoken wrongly of. Yet, we can make that choice to not let those unkind words offend us. We referred to Martha Peace's book Damsels in Distress, to help us think through this biblically. Here's some thoughts from the book:

• We can show love those those who sin against us.
• Thank God for the test.
• Overcome evil with good
• Give a blessing instead
• Pray for those who mistreat you.
• Give others the benefit of the doubt.
• Do not judge people's motives

We pray that our discussion on this topic would be helpful and encouraging to you as you seek to honor God in all areas of life.

God's Sovereign Plan

How can the fact that God has made both the good and bad times affect the way we view and live our life? Such a good question to consider as we think through the truths of Ecclesiastes 7:13-14. What a peace believers can have as we accept God's sovereign plan for us. Trusting that God has made good days and days of adversity and that He is in control of each day causes us to rejoice, trust, depend on and honor God. We pray that you are recognizing God's hand on each day and event that comes your way.

Honoring God in Prosperity & Adversity

Ecclesisastes 7:13-14 are verses that really prick the heart. " Consider the work of God...In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other..." As we think about the life that God has called us to live, we can be assured that He has has made each day not only so He can be glorified, but that we might grow more like Christ. There are times of prosperity and times of adversity. These verses remind me that God's sovereign hand is upon the good times and bad times in my life. Do I complain at His plan for me or do I rejoice at how He can use me? There are many examples of those who have honored God in prosperous times and in times of difficulty. What do you do? Do you praise and honor the Savior during your prosperous times? Do you rejoice in your suffering knowing that it is for your good? Or are you prone to take the credit for your wealth and complain when life gets hard? Realize that the way you respond to prosperous and adverse times is a reflection of your heart and your walk with God. Get to know God more, be in His Word and when those times come, you will be ready to honor God.

Overcoming Obstacles to Wisdom

We talked about obstacles to wisdom in our last session. Today and tomorrow we will talk about ways to overcome these obstacles. As we run our race, God has given truth in His word to help us be victors and overcomers! That is exciting! I hope you are trusting His word as you seek to daily walk in obedience to Him. What are you currently doing to be victorious in your walk with Christ?

Obstacles to Wisdom

As we run the race set before us, we find that there are many obstacles in our way. Yet, our Heavenly Father has given us the tool (His Word!) to know how to overcome these obstacles. As we seek to attain godly wisdom, there are obstacles. Ecclesiastes 7:7-10 tell us that adversity and prosperity are two of the main obstacles. In addition to that we can see how anger, pride, discontent, bribery, being easily offended are also obstacles. On Monday, we are going to talk about how we can avoid these obstacles as we seek to glorify Him.

Lessons from Suffering

Ecclesiastes may seem like a difficult book to understand at first read. I think it is! I am thankful that as I study, God opens up to me biblical principles to guide my life. Our prayer is that you would take these truths and let them encourage and challenge your heart. Scripture has much to say about suffering in many other places. It's no surprise that here in the book of Ecclesiastes the wisest person deals with this topic. Our question for chapter 7:1-6: "What lessons from suffering can believers learn from these verses?" (If you wish to take notes, there are free notes available for you with the Scripture references we mention. You can download them right off the blog under the "Notes" section.) Listen in and let us know what you think!

Until We Meet Again....

Dear Listeners, Our hearts are thrilled to have had the pleasure of studying with Karen Hime on Women in the Word. Today will be Karen's last day on the program with us. Through a variety of events that God has worked in her life, she has decided that it would be best to devote her time to other areas of ministry that she is involved with. As you think of her, continue to pray for Karen as she uses God's Word in her own personal spiritual growth, and as she counsels with others. Perhaps we may have the privilege of having her on the program as a guest in the future! As we continue or study in Ecclesiastes, we'll be joined by Meredith Henderson and Gloria Ormiston. These women have been guests on the program in the past and we look forward to their time with us in the future. Thank you for praying for us as we strive to study God's Word and apply it to women. Walk with the Lord and be a blessing, Rebecca, Pam, Crystal & Sarah

God's View of Success

There are a lot of ideas in our world today about what achievements make you successful. Achieving your dream job, making a difference in the world, helping those in need, purchasing a home or vehicle are just some examples of success. In the Old Testament, many children and long life were considered blessings (Ecclesiastes 6:3-6). What does the Bible have to say about being successful in God's eyes? We have to be careful that we are not determining our success by the world's standards, rather by God's. This is very difficult to do, but as always, every thought must be based on the truth of God's Word. Here are some things from God's Word that we suggest are successful:

1. Glorifying God by becoming more like Christ (Romans 8:29)
2. Representing God well to others (Ephesians 4:1-2)
3. Encouraging fellow believers to grow and change (Colossians 1:28-29)
4. Rejoicing in trials (James 1:2-4)
5. Developing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24)
6. Success is described in Paul's prayer to the believers in Ephesus (Ephesians 3:14-19)
7. Developing godly character qualities (Colossians 3:12-17)

Continuing in Ecclesiastes

Deb Brammer will join us for another five sessions as we continue on with our study of Ecclesiastes. So, as we go on in chapter 6, we ask, "What role does God have in the satisfaction which wealth, possessions and honor can bring?" God gives us the ability to enjoy His creation and contentment and satisfaction comes from Him alone (Job 1:21-22). Do you take time each day to be thankful and praise God for the things He gives you to enjoy? Are you recognizing that all you have comes from Him alone? What a challenge it is to remember that it is God who gives the ability to enjoy all things!

A Visit With a Missionary

Over the next few broadcasts we will be visiting with missionary Deb Brammer. She currently is ministering with her husband, Art, in the country of New Zealand. We hope you will be able to tune in and listen as she shares her heart for serving the Lord and for the ministry she is in. Here is more about Deb: I was raised in a pastor’s home and I was a compliant child. Compared to other kids my age I was a pretty good kid. But if you compared me to Christ or God’s perfect standard of holiness, of course I fell far short. As a child of five I understood that I was a sinner, was sorry for my sin, and believed in Jesus Christ as my Savior. My life didn’t suddenly make great changes, but that simple decision changed the course of my entire life. I never wandered far away from God or fell into deep sin that could hurt my testimony. I always wanted my life to count for God. Becoming a Christian at an early age saved me from sin and a lifetime of regrets. During my teenage years I gave my life to the Lord and asked Him to lead me. I always had a heart for ministry and a desire to serve Him in a career ministry. While at Bible college I felt God calling me to write for Christian publication. God also led me to my future husband and missionary service. Art and I have served with Baptist Mid Missions for more than thirty years. We served in Taiwan for sixteen years and have been working in New Zealand for more than 13 years so far. We count it a privilege to serve the Lord in whatever place He puts us. You can find more about Deb and her ministry: www.debbrammer.com and www.debbrammerbooks.com .

Honoring God With Our Possessions

How can we enjoy our possessions in a way that honors God? Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, "Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them...this is the gift of God." God gives us the privilege of enjoying what we have. We must enjoy our possessions in a way that pleases and gives honor to the ONE who gave them to us! Here's our thoughts about how we can enjoy our possessions to honor God.

1. Have the right heart attitude (Proverbs 30:7-9)
2. Praise Him for creation
3. Recognize that all we have comes from God
4. Use our skills and strengths to help others
5. Be good stewards of what we have
6. Trust in God and not our riches (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
7. Give God the glory with what you have.

What do you think? What are some ways that you are currently using your gifts, material possessions or money to honor God?

Money Does Not Bring Happiness

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 talk about the theme of the vanity of wealth and possessions. Verse 10 says that "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money..." What a sobering thought to mediate on. So often we are happy (only for a little while) when we have plenty of money in our checkbook. So our question today is: "Why is money unable to bring happiness or contentment?" When money is what we strive after, we are not living in obedience. This holds true for any other material possession or relationship in life. Matthew 22:27 tells us that we need to love God with our whole heart, not money, things or people. Material possessions will eventually break, be lost, stolen or waste away (Matthew 6:19-21). Money does not last, but God's love does. Obedience, resting in God's love and His promises for us bring true happiness and contentment. Are you striving for your happiness in God or are you striving for money or material possessions to bring you contentment?

Fearing God

Ecclesiastes 5:7 says that "God is the one you must fear." What does it mean to fear God? Well, in this context, the word "fear" means "to fear, tremble." It is the idea that we ought to fear God's wrath so much that if we make a promise we will fulfill it and not give excuses as to why we cannot. For when we break a promise given to Him we are at risk of losing what God has allowed us to achieve (vs. 6). We ought not to fear man, our reputation or be prideful, but we must fear God and be obedient to Him.

Approaching God

As we approach God to worship Him, it is important that we come to Him with the right attitude. Have you ever attempted to worship Him when your mind is distracted? Have you ever tried to pray after a fight with someone in your family? It is difficult to come to God if our minds are not prepared to come to Him with reverence. Today we will share our thoughts regarding coming to God with the right attitude. How do you prepare your mind to worship Him?

Ecclesiastes 5 - Worship

As we begin Ecclesiastes 5 we find that Solomon is now visiting the temple. As we read through these first three verses, we see that there are many truths which we can apply to our lives today! Solomon tells us to Guard your steps and to Draw near to listen. Wow! These are big truths to apply as we seek to worship God. For many, worship can become a meaningless exercise, something we do because we have always done it. For others, it takes mental work to get to church with a heart prepared for worship. Solomon is telling us to "proceed with reverence" and acknowledge the authority of God. Are you coming to worship God each week with a heart of reverence and prepared to listen to God's Word?