So, of Jesus’ identity there can be no mistake: He was/is the Lord Christ, our Savior and our only hope in this life — and in the one to come. This is critically important to know and be assured of in our day, for every attempt imaginable is being employed to erode, dilute, to syncretize Christianity, to make Jesus one of any number of paths to God and ways to make sense of life.
Welcome to Ecclesiastes, perhaps one of the most misunderstood books found in the Bible! I just completed a reading of this “mysterious” chronicle of life’s perplexities as penned by the son of King David. Ecclesiastes is part of what theologians call wisdom literature. This fascinating book helps us look at the repetitiveness of life from the standpoint of eternity: Apart from God, life is fleeting and futile.
Proverbs comes under the Biblical category of wisdom literature and emphasizes practical living before the face of God. The book is filled with distinctive maxims and adages — general principles that are usually (but not always) fulfilled this side of heaven. For instance: The righteous suffer while the wicked seem to prosper and enjoy great blessing. But, ultimately, rewards and punishment will be fulfilled in the new heaven and earth.
This side of heaven, Christians suffer the same losses unbelievers suffer: We lose loved ones unexpectedly; we battle then lose to disease; our marriages become distressed — and sometimes dissolve; we lose our job, our home; sometimes our closest friends betray us; etc., etc.
Psalm 66:16-20 reminds us that God hears the prayers of genuine seekers: “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.”
To live an upright life is the fear of the Lord! Though our shortcomings are great, God’s grace is greater yet. The children of God are called to live a life of surrender to the will of God as revealed in the Word of God. When we fall short we simply and reverently acknowledge our sin, thank God for His forgiveness (secured by Christ on Calvary’s cross), turn from that particular sin, then get on with our life, our walk with God.