Today you should read: Ecclesiastes 4
After reading today’s passage, you are four chapters into the book of Ecclesiastes! Thanks for walking through it with us. Even four chapters in, you have surely seen that Solomon is not presenting a fluffy, unrealistic picture of the world; he is dealing with the world in all of its challenges, which might seem like a downer, but in reality helps us truly understand that life is utterly meaningless if it is not lived for God.
Today’s chapter begins by talking about the evil that is rampant in the world. I have been reading through Genesis 1-4 in my time with God this week (yes, I started a Bible reading plan in May; don’t judge) and was struck again by the fact that it only took four chapters for people to go from living in the middle of God’s perfect design, to seeing the disastrous effects of sin up close.
Solomon is showing us that sin shatters our relationship with God and others. He also gives vision for how relationships can be a tremendous benefit when they are pursued within God’s design—through wisdom and not selfishness.
Think about the relationships you have right now. Would you say they are more marked by God’s grace or by selfishness? Do you seek to serve them or be served by them? Are you wanting to love them or are you needing love from them? God’s design for our relationships is that they would be marked by the Gospel through selfless love.
By: Graham Withers — Pastoral Ministry Apprentice
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