Thursday, May 24, 2012

One of my favorite things..

Can I just say that I think it's very possible that one of my new favorite books of the Bible is Ecclesiastes?

I had never really paid a whole lot of attention to it before. I was mostly just familiar with the well known passage that says there is a season for everything. But then last month I was reading through it to find something particular, and two things struck me.
At first, I thought, "Geez, this is kind of a depressing book..."
And second, the more I read it, the more I thought, "Wow, this has some crazy-beautiful passages!"

And, of course, once you reach the end of the book, you see that it is really not as depressing as it seems in the beginning, because it all goes back to show that all things are done in vain, unless done for the glory of the Lord, and if you do all for His glory and in His name, then you will lead a rich, blessed life.

Now I have been reading through it more for devotions, and there is so much to be found in it.I love so many of the verses I come across, from the way they are phrased (they are so poetic!) to what they have to offer. There are some that really make you think.

"One generation passeth away,and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."
Ecclesiastes 1:4-8

"Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness."
Ecclesiastes 2:13

"For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? As the fool."
Ecclesiastes 2:16

"He hath made every thing beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."
Ecclesiastes 3:11

"I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever:nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and so God doeth it, that men should fear before Him."
Ecclesiastes 3:14

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm  alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

"As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hands."
Ecclesiastes 5:15

"Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better."
Ecclesiastes 7:3

"Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which He hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun."
Ecclesiastes 9:9

"Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun."
Ecclesiastes 11:7

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