Tuesday 19 Jun 2012

Tuesday Reading: Ecclesiastes 6:7-12

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 6:7
7  All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Devotion:
Have you ever thought about what you work for, or what you will be working for if you are still at school? I used to look forward to being able to have money in my pocket so that I could do anything that I wanted instead of being limited by what my parents would allow me to have. And when I started work I was fortunate enough to be able to have a reasonable wage and I would go out and have a good time not thinking about where the money had come from or where it would be going; of course I would always find myself short at the end of the month but that did not seem to matter back then. But when you have people that depend on you the table turns and you have to think about such things!

Unfortunately even earning enough money can still get you down because you never seem to be satisfied with what you have, always looking for bigger and better things. I think my attitude only changed when I started looking for bigger and better things for other people instead of myself because that was one of the few ways in which I could be satisfied.

I should not be all about what we are aiming for or what we think we can get. It should not be all about what we can give to others either, no matter how good that will make us feel. It should be about looking at what we do have and thanking God for what He has allowed us to have! It certainly is no use for us to compare ourselves with others and what they have because we are all very different people with very different needs. Just seeing that someone seems to have everything certainly does not mean that they do have everything or that they are content! I have learned to be content with what God allows me to have, and I have also learned that I have to do a lot of work to be able to get some of that too.

Our lives on earth can be described as being but a vapour, or as a shadow; in other words they are here today and gone tomorrow and we certainly do not know how long we will have them on earth. Our aim must therefore be to be happy with all that God allows us to have during the time that He allows us to live with that. What we do with it and how we thank Him for it are what will count for more than what we think we have or have not.

Points to Ponder:
Are you happy with your lot?

Are you trusting God for your needs?