Luke 16:8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
Walk in Wisdom. In the chaotic times that we are living in our hope is in listening closely to the still, small voice of Holy Spirit in us. He will direct us as we seek God’s will for us and those our lives affect.
Ephesians 5:8-16 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
We cannot call evil good. Nor can we hide our heads in the sand like the ostrich. We need to open our eyes to the truth of Jesus Christ. hold fast to the teachings He gave to the Jewish believers first and which apply to all of His followers now. Joy in our salvation is our strength! Carla
Darkness symbolizes the realm dominated by sin and death (Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:13). Darkness also can refer to lack of understanding (Psalm 82:5; Romans 2:19). Light and Darkness represent righteousness and life (2 Corinthians 6:14; Job 33:30); also refers to understanding (Psalm 119:105, 130). A common label (particularly among sectarian groups) for those who are in right relationship with God.
Rooted in Christ, the believer’s life should produce Christlike virtues. Believers are called to adopt Christ’s standards and desires as their own.
Shameful even to speak about refers to the illicit behavior Paul mentioned in Ephesians 5:3–5. Such actions are characteristic of sin and death (verse 8). Wake up sleeper is not a direct quote from any Old Testament passage. Paul might be alluding to Job 14:12 or Isaiah 26:19. Sleep is a common metaphor for death.
The Bible closely associates wisdom with honoring and obeying God (Proverbs 1:7).
Days are evil refers to the current times, as opposed to the coming time when Jesus will return and vanquish evil. The current time (or present age) is characterized by disobedience and the corrupting influence of Satan. Faithlife Study Bible
The believer’s position has changed from darkness (sin) to light (righteousness). Believers are to change their walk to correspond to their position in Christ (Romans 12:2).
Awake, you who sleep: This may be a fragment of a first-century Christian hymn, or an original thought by Paul alluding to Isiah 26:19, a promise of God’s coming salvation.
To walk circumspectly is to step gingerly. We should watch our path to avoid contact with undesirable influences. Redeeming the time means taking advantage of opportunities for service. We each have a limited amount of time on this earth. Paul exhorts us to use as much of that time as possible for advancing Christ’s purposes in this world. The NKJV Study Bible
Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Ephesians 2:1–2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
John 12:35–36 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Let us be gentle with ourselves. And allow grace to ground us. And to our friends and family and the world we touch, may we let our light—and hope—spill, creating sanctuaries for those who are vulnerable around and among us.
When we stop reacting to every cruelty and begin responding from spiritual depth, we reclaim our sacred agency.This is not detachment: it’s a strategic refusal to let chaos colonize our spirit.
“The revolution will not be reactive. It will be metabolically wise. Spiritually rooted. Discerning. Collective. Generous. Joyful. Courageous.” (Thank you Rev. Cameron Trimble)
Yes, and amen. Stillness is not an easy thing in chaotic times. But something every one of us desires. Choose, as in we “say yes to”. We say yes to the securing of stillness and calm and peace and good will and resilience.
Or, we say yes to cynicism and negativity and resentment and chaos. All of which is an “anchor” in mind only. Because (in our choosing) we give way to all that is not grounding (life-giving and secure). “Sabbath Moments” Terry Hershey
Ecclesiastes 8:15 (ESV) "And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun."
Ecclesiastes is a book of striking contrasts. It explores wisdom and folly, joy and sorrow, toil and rest, meaning and futility, engaging us in deep contemplation yet also offering practical guidance for our everyday lives.
Here are a few key themes
1. Despair is present, but so is joy.
The German word "weltschmerz" means "mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state." While the Teacher didn't speak German, we could say he expressed weltschmerz in Ecclesiastes. He referenced Adam and the ideal state of the world God created in the beginning (Ecclesiastes 3:10, CSB), but this is far from the actual state of the world now that sin has brought injustice, death, worry, toil, and other hardships into our reality. In our broken world, it's easy to lose hope. There is no shortage of despair.
But what if joy is also present? When we dare to ask this question, God offers a delightfully surprising answer. Even through his despair, God led the Teacher to "commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful" (Ecclesiastes 8:15).Choosing joy takes courage, but it is a choice we can make with God's help and for His glory.
2. Doubt is heavy, but faith is strong.
Today some of the most-Googled questions about God include: Does God exist? Why does God allow suffering and evil? Does life have a purpose? While search engines are a modern invention, these are very old questions; thousands of years ago, the Teacher wrestled with them too. And though it might seem disappointing at first that Ecclesiastes doesn't offer definitive answers, we'll discover there is blessing in the wrestling itself.
God listened as the Teacher lamented "grievous evil" (Ecclesiastes 5:13). He was patient as the Teacher asked, "Who knows what is good[? ]" (Ecclesiastes 6:12). God didn't rebuke, correct or silence these honest doubts. He published them in His holy Scriptures! And God is patient with our questions too. We can bring our doubts to Him and sincerely pray, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).
3. Life is short, but eternity is long.
The writer of Ecclesiastes was a bit preoccupied with death. And it concerned him that others didn't share his preoccupation. Instead of confronting their mortality, he saw people hoarding wealth, idolizing family legacy, indulging sinful desires, exploiting worldly power, fighting pointless battles, settling for hollow happiness, and exhausting themselves with hard work that wouldn't outlast them in the end.He knew death was inevitable, but he found it unfair. He wondered, "Who can enable [a person] to see what will happen after he dies?"(Ecclesiastes 3:22, CSB).
Thankfully, Jesus has now answered this question once and for all. After He died, He was raised to eternal life with God, and if we trust in Him, "we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his" (Romans 6:5). As we read Ecclesiastes from a New Testament perspective, we can find encouragement to live every day on earth with heavenly hope in mind. First5
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