Daily Devotions
Ecclesiastes
"God will bring you into judgment"
Text: Ecclesiastes 11:9
THE REALITY OF JUDGMENT
The thought of Judgment from God is not something young people think about much. It is natural for the young to enjoy themselves. Nevertheless, it is wise to think of the fact that we are accountable to God!
“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.”
Ecclesiastes 11:9
1. “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth”
a) Is it wrong to rejoice in one’s youth?
The simple answer is “No!”
b) It is natural to feel a sense of rejoicing when one is young.
i) The future looks promising.
ii) There is a great sense of hope.
iii) There is natural strength.
2. “And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth”
a) The heart is almost carefree.
b) The normal tendency is one of “cheer”.
c) These things are consistent with one who is a youth.
3. “Walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes”
a) One’s walk in life has two main features:
i) The heart and how it feels.
ii) The eyes and what they see.
b) For the young, these two things are good enough.
They are happy with what they feel and what they see
4. “But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment”
a) This is not to be read as a dire word of warning.
b) It is simply good advice to bear in mind that all are accountable to God.
i) One may be carefree, but one must not be careless.
ii) One may listen to the heart, but it would also be good to listen to the head.
iii) One may rejoice, but it would be good to add a sense of responsibility.
c) Bringing God into the picture:
i) This is good and wise.
ii) This is important and will result in a better way of living.
d) God’s judgment:
i) This thought teaches us “accountability”.
ii) This truth brings needed wisdom.
iii) It is good to include God in all that we do in life.