Shade Tree Wisdom 8/5/11

The paper ran a report on water levels on selected Texas lakes. Two are over 98% full, and two are under 55% full. Which means tree stumps stick out and boats are left high and dry. This is the worst drought in nearly 50 years. Pray the Lord to send needed and wished-for rains.

Poet William Cullen Bryant observed a flock of geese on their flight to their winter range and composed “TO A WATERFOWL”. The poem ends with this:
“He who from zone to zone,
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must tread alone,
Will lead my steps aright.”
There is a truth we must pay attention to, for it speaks what the Bible constantly teaches us. That, as the song says, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I KNOW He watches me.”

What brings this to mind is my reading in the Book of Ecclesiastes, often little read, often even ignored, because the message seems so depressing. What this Book does too is simply picture what happens when people live ‘under the sun’, that is, with God out of the picture, ignored, even sneered at, and His Children, the Christian, held in derision because of their faith.

The opening, verse 2, reads, “Meaningless, meaningless, says the Teacher, utterly meaningless. Everything is meaningless.” And He goes on – remember, this is a wealthy king speaking – to show how senseless and fruitless things ‘under the sun’ turn out to be.

Now and then a flash of understanding. 5,19, “Every man may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil. This, too, is a gift of God.” Then this flash from ‘under the sun’ in 5,10, “Whoever loves money, never has money enough”. Isn’t that on display in the NFL negotiations, “You can’t afford me”, and “I have to think of my family”. You hear such expressions even when many salaries have many dollars guaranteed whether there is further production or not.

So the Book ends with this note, “Fear God, and keep His commandments, this is the whole duty of man.” 12,13.

I end with this for the Christian.
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book,
Before one of them came to be.” P. 139,16.
And I am content with God’s rich and daily gifts.

GPD 8/5/11