Who's in Control Here? Proverbs 5, Ecclesiastes 3-4

May the mumbling commence!

OK.  If I keep myself under control… if I allow God to rule my life, everything will be all right.  If only life was that simple!  If only it was so simple to hand my life over to God!  Stay true to God.  Stay true to my wife.  Read from Proverbs chapter five:

Drink water from your own cistern,

And running water from your own well. 

Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,

Streams of water in the streets? 

Let them be only your own,

And not for strangers with you. 

Let your fountain be blessed,

And rejoice with the wife of your youth. 

 As a loving deer and a graceful doe,

Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;

And always be enraptured with her love. 

For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman,

And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? (Verses 15-20)

No, I would not like to share my wife with another man.  Neither should I desire to have another woman in my life.  In the same way, God does not want to share us with any other gods.  May we be satisfied with the spouse of our youth.  May we be satisfied with the Lord of lords and God of gods.

Then, everything will be all right, right?  Not so fast, my friend!  Read from Ecclesiastes chapter three:

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 

I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 

I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor – it is the gift of God. 

I know that whatever God does,

It shall be forever.

Nothing can be added to it,

And nothing taken from it.

God does it, that men should fear before Him. 

That which is has already been,

And what is to be has already been;

And God requires an account of what is past. (Verses 9-15)

There it is.  Beauty is just out of our reach.  Eternity is just out of our reach.  Though we strive for it, we can never attain it.  How frustrating!  We think we know how good life can be – if we would only choose the path God lays out before us.  It is impossible for us to fully choose God.  It is even more impossible to make that decision for others.

Come, Lord Jesus.  It is hard to wait in such circumstances! 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out