The Devotonal - A Look at the Book #591

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #591

Papa J's rules for Livin #12

One of the hardest things to overcome in life is selfishness. The fact is that even the unselfish are selfish about their behavior; all are disobedient. God calls all selfish behavior SIN. Romans 3:23

The Devotional

The temporal conditions of elderly life can often seem permanent. It is depressing to have the feeling that nothing will change, that there is nothing to look forward too and that nothing in life matters anymore. Some of the elderly people I have worked with have these thoughts going on in their minds, it is a continual, maddening oppression that keeps pushing forward. Thus, driving them deeper into a mentally depressed condition; the condition is a grave digger. However, if you have a heart of thanksgiving; you just may be the one God sends to help them overcome their loneliness. Even bitter people like a word of thanks; so this is Thanksgiving when most of their friends and relatives will avoid them and the downward spiral of depression deepens. Seek that opportunity that God will provide to be thankful in their presence; if they could only know that Christ has regarded that helpless condition and that He shed His own blood for their soul, they may find peace and purpose for being elderly. Being elderly; I get the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them, but not often. Unsaved elderly people who have nothing much to do, often seem to busy to hear the gospel. Their mind is full of distraction caused by worldly fear and there is no fear of the LORD in them at all. Their mind races against the sound wisdom of the Word of God and there is no peace in a hardened aggressive heart. Ecclesiastes 8:10-17. Don’t make the elderly envious of your youth when in truth; it should be the other way around.

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:12 – I am sure you have experience in the progression of seeking pleasure, no doubt like most of us you have tried a thing or two in your past, but God has shown you the emptiness of pursuing a life-style of sin. As Solomon faces the truth that drugs, alcohol and madness is empty. His self will to turn away leads him in another direction. For many people who abuse their life and conscience they are weakened and cannot overcome; but those who are strong willed like Solomon do. In simple terms he says; no one can exceed this folly with the same experience so… why repeat it if it is empty?

Ecclesiastes 2:13 – When we are pleasure seekers we normally do not use wisdom to determine the outcome of our actions. However that does not mean that wisdom is not available to the pleasure seeker, since he or she simply takes what they know and sticks this wisdom in their “back pocket” where darkness dwells; do you get the picture.

Ecclesiastes 2:14-16 – Solomon says that the wise man will leave his wisdom in his eyes where observation dwells and that the fool loves to walk in darkness where sensuality dwells. But he also adds that both the fool and the wise have the same outcome. Life and death happen to both, so why then be humanly wise or foolish since both are vanity? His observation then is that there must be some other purpose for living life. And there is because God has place eternity in our hearts and the purpose of man is to seek first the kingdom of God. Ecclesiastes 3:11 and Matthew 6:33.