SPEND YOUR DAYS WISELY
We thank God for the joyous occasion we have last Sunday when we celebrated our 52nd church anniversary. We thank God for His goodness and gracious providence for the church all these years. The years have gone past so quickly. We thank God for giving us life to live for Him. We must make full use of our living on earth for His glory.
King Solomon wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes at an old age. It was a collection of his wisdom and his experience in dealing with many issues in life. Solomon had started out brightly as one blessed of the Lord. He was bestowed wisdom and honour, far exceeding anyone before him, so much so that there was none after him. Yet, for all his wisdom, glory and honour, he had erred in the ways of the Lord. His wives and concubines had turned his heart away from the Lord (1Kings 11:3-6). At the end of his days, Solomon did a reflection of his life. He penned the words of Ecclesiastes as instruction for others that they should not follow his folly.
Solomon started out this chapter rather strangely by saying: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days” (Eccl. 11:1). Solomon was referring to the sowing of the grain. When a farmer sows the seeds, he will normally sow them in a cultivated field. Sometimes, he will also sow the seeds upon fields which are flooded with water, even though such a ground was not conducive for planting. This is similar to the sower in the parable of the grounds where the sower sowed the seeds not only on good ground but also on the wayside, stony ground, and among the thorns. Why would the farmer want to sow on a flooded field where the chances of the seed germinating and growing are low? The farmer will only know the results after many days. What Solomon wanted to convey is that we do not know exactly how the things we do will work out in our lives (Eccl. 11:2,5,6). The lesson for us is this – we must do the works of God and do good to others when given the opportunities. We may not know how they will turn out. But if we do not do them, we know certainly that these opportunities will be gone.
We certainly do not know what will happen to us tomorrow. Will tomorrow go by as it was yesterday? Will there be a great blessing ahead of you? Or will a great crisis about to strike your life? We will never know what tomorrow brings. In fact, we do not even know how today will end. So, let us learn to do the works of God when there is opportunity. If not, that opportunity will be gone.
However, we tend to be calculative in doing work. We would be unwilling to put effort in a labour where the results do not measure up to the efforts which we put in. Solomon reminded us that there are many things in life which are beyond our control. These are regulated by the power of God, such as rain and falling of a tree (Eccl. 11:3). Now, if we only do what we can control, we will end up not doing anything at all (Eccl. 11:4). Above that, there are also many things in life which are beyond our knowledge (Eccl. 11:5). Would that mean that you would not do any work if you are unable to fully comprehend how it works? Would a sick person say that he would only take the medication when he knows how it works? Certainly not!
Thus, Solomon urged us to learn to surrender all our works to God’s control because God knows what He is doing in our lives. Do good to all men. Don’t need to think so much about the what-ifs in your work and ministry. Submit them to the Lord. Take heed to Solomon’s advice – sow your seed in the morning and even evening, and withhold not your hand (Eccl. 11:6). When God gives us the opportunity, do good to all men. We will never know what our little good works can play in the grand scheme of God’s purpose and plan.
Solomon also reminded us that whatever we do in life, whether good or bad, God will bring them to judgment (Eccl. 11:9). Hence, let us not live a life following the propensities of our own hearts, chasing worldliness and the noisy mirth of the fools; for God will surely bring these to judgment. Instead, spend our time wisely. Know that our time is limited – use it to do good to others. You do not know how God will work things in life – do not be so calculative and withhold your hand from labouring for the Lord. Know that God will judge our works – spend our time wisely not on temporal things of the world but on things of eternal value. Let all things be done for the glory of God. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest” (Eccl. 9:10). HCL.
