(A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)
Don’t Depend on Wealth
49 Everyone on this earth, now listen to what I say! 2 Listen, no matter who you are, rich or poor. 3 I speak words of wisdom, and my thoughts make sense. 4 I have in mind a mystery that I will explain while playing my harp.
5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when I am surrounded by vicious enemies? 6 They trust in their riches and brag about all of their wealth. 7 You cannot buy back your life or pay off God! 8 It costs far too much to buy back your life. You can never pay God enough 9 to stay alive forever and safe from death.
10 We see that wise people die, and so do stupid fools. Then their money is left for someone else. 11 The grave will be their home forever and ever, although they once had land of their own. 12 Our human glory disappears, and, like animals, we die.
What wise advice from The Psalmist. Don’t rely on wealth. Ultimately it is of no value. We cannot buy eternal life. We can’t pay off God. Wealth doesn’t make for a long life – and it certainly doesn’t buy a happy one.
At the end of the day, we will all day – rich or poor, it will make no difference. Money cannot save us.
2 Nothing makes sense! Everything is nonsense. I have seen it all— nothing makes sense!
It Is Senseless To Be Wise
12 I said these things when I lived in Jerusalem as king of Israel. 13 With all my wisdom I tried to understand everything that happens here on earth. And God has made this so hard for us humans to do. 14 I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind.
2
18 Suddenly I realized that others would someday get everything I had worked for so hard, then I started hating it all. 19 Who knows if those people will be sensible or stupid? Either way, they will own everything I have earned by hard work and wisdom. It doesn’t make sense.
20 I thought about all my hard work, and I felt depressed. 21 When we use our wisdom, knowledge, and skill to get what we own, why do we have to leave it to someone who didn’t work for it? This is senseless and wrong. 22 What do we really gain from all of our hard work? 23 Our bodies ache during the day, and work is torture. Then at night our thoughts are troubled. It just doesn’t make sense.
The book of Ecclesiastes is a reflection on life – with all its contradictions, mysteries, injustices and frustrations.
The author does, in fact, come to the conclusion that life is useless and meaningless.
I have heard it described as “the only book in the bible written by an atheist”. I have also heard it cited as an example of the breadth of faith – including pessimism and doubt. I like that – that faith is big enough to include doubt and questions. That to me, makes it a gift. As people of faith, we don’t have to feel that we have all the answers. We can still have questions and doubts and still believe in God – whether it makes sense or not.
For faith is not about things having to make sense. It is not about having all the answers. If it did it would not be faith. By definition it is an act of trust. An element of doubt is perfectly acceptable – and makes God belief in him far more real and useful.
We all have times when life makes no sense, days (or even weeks or years) when we feel like we’re chasing the wind.
Do we need to understand? If we actually understood would life be any easier – or would it in reality make it worse? Sometimes we should search for answers, but at other times it is ok to live with the questions. God doesn’t mind. He isn’t offended that we ask them.
Can we sometimes leave things not making sense – and be happy that to God they do? To remember that he holds the bigger picture?
We can carry on chasing the wind, or we can rest and be and let God be God – because he’s good at it.
Can we live with things we don’t understand, can’t grasp, don’t get?
There is space for it in the bible without God falling apart, or faith being lost. I think God can take it from us.
Can we ultimately trust and leave it to God to sort out
Lord,
I have so many questions,
a great long list…
Things I don’t understand,
don’t think are fair,
can’t work out why.
I can chase around looking for answers,
and sometimes that is the right thing to do,
but I thank you
that it is ok
to have questions,
to not know all the answers.
I thank you that you are
holding everything together,
whether I understand how or not.
Pam's Perambulation 