Pearls of Wisdom

 

Solomon, the son of David, was known during 900 BC, to be the wisest and richest man on earth. Upon becoming King, God told Solomon that He would give him anything in the world he requested. King Solomon requested a discerning heart – wisdom, by which he could govern his people. God granted his request. Pleased with Solomon’s selfless request, God also promised to give him more riches and honor than any other King in his lifetime.

Over time, Solomon amassed a great fortune comprised of gold, silver, royal garments, animals, furnishings, concubines and more. Solomon had it all – the good life. Yet for all the wealth, intellect and power he possessed, he was extremely unhappy. He worked hard and played hard, enjoying the pleasures of life. Unfortunately, no matter what he did or how much he acquired, Solomon failed to find any fulfillment in life. “Everything I wanted I took – I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task – my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!”  ~Ecclesiastes 2:10-11(MSG)

Like Solomon, we often try to surround ourselves with ‘stuff’ to find fulfillment. Large assortments of clothes, purses or shoes are just some of the items we seek to find enjoyment in. For some, it may be larger ticket items, such as name brands and multiple cars. But in six months, after the novelty is gone, we’re left with bills to pay and an eye on more things to purchase. We tell ourselves that we ‘deserve these things’ because of our efforts, but like Solomon, you derive little, if any, pleasure.

God doesn’t mind that we have stuff, as He is the one that blesses us with it. What He does mind is when the stuff owns us. These items become our idol, our God, which displeases God tremendously. Like Solomon, surrounding ourselves with stuff often masks an unmet need, feelings of emptiness or emotional pain. Acquiring stuff gives us a burst of instant gratification, which quickly wears off.

Toward the end of his life, Solomon describes life as meaningless and empty. He realizes that stuff doesn’t bring lasting happiness.  He realizes life without God is meaningless and laments over the mistakes he’s made in his life.

Solomon learned many lessons during his lifetime, including the importance of keeping a vow made to God. It is better not to make a vow than to make a vow and break it. He also learned that it is not good to hoard things. You should be generous, investing in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. We should aim to be a blessing to others, since tomorrow is not promised. ~Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 (MSG).

King Solomon’s last and final words in the book of Ecclesiastes were: “Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.”  ~Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

So the next time you have an urge to buy a pair of ‘must have’ designer shoes, ask yourself, do I really need another pair of shoes? Is my life going to be more fulfilled if I buy these shoes?  If the answer is no, put your wallet back in your purse and go home.  Donate the money you were going to spend on the shoes to your favorite charity.  Now that’s something you can feel good about.

 

 

When you embark on a vacation, you expect total fun and relaxation. That was not the case on a recent family vacation. We had every intention to get an early start on our drive south to the beach. We were up early. I began packing the car. As I put the last suitcase in and shut the door, I realized I had locked the keys in the trunk. Since it was a rental car, I knew immediately our departure would be delayed.

Two hours later, we finally departed. The minute we got on I-95, it was gridlocked. After 20 minutes on the road, my grand baby announced she had to go the bathroom.  By this time, I was questioning if God meant for us to take this trip and if there was some reason we should remain home.

For the next four hours, we experienced traffic gridlock, frequent bathroom stops, and two incidents of my grand baby getting car sick. By this time, I had a headache and was asking God, WHY this was happening and what was the lesson I needed to learn?

My saving grace was my brother who continued to text me throughout the journey, offering words of encouragement as I relayed the events of the trip. He would not allow me to turn back, and urged me to keep pushing through. So 8 ½ hours later, on a journey that should have taken 5 hours, we reached our destination, weary but relieved the journey was over.

I reflected back on my devotional the previous day which was James 1:2-4, (MSG)

‘Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way.’

AH HA!! Mystery solved. God was giving me a life application moment. I can’t say I experienced joy, but I was glad I pushed through the journey.

The next time God takes you through one of life’s many trials, push through it! Better things await you at the other end and hopefully there is someone on the other side providing encouragement and rooting for you to pull through!

 

A few weeks ago, my pastor delivered a sermon on John 4:4-30. This is the passage where Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well. During that time, the Samaritans were regarded by the Jews as ‘low life’. A Jew would never be seen talking to a Samaritan. Rather than traveling through Samaria, the Jews would take the long way around to get to their destination to avoid encountering any Samaritans. So, for Jesus to go through Samaria and have an encounter with a Samaritan was considered scandalous.

Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well who had come to draw water. Jesus not only engaged the woman in conversation, but proceeded to tell her about her adulterous lifestyle. He explained that He could provide her ‘living water’ so she would never thirst again. During the course of the conversation, he revealed that He was the Messiah.

There are some important observations about this story that provide insight into Jesus’ character.

1. Jesus knew everything about her sullied lifestyle, but continued to engage with her;
2. Jesus didn’t care that she led a sinful life. He offered her the same love –‘living water’ that was being offered to the Jews and all that chose to follow Him;
3. The Samaritan woman wasn’t offended by the things Jesus said about her. Instead, she remained open to what He had to offer her;
4. In her excitement, she left her water jug at the well and left to tell the towns people about her encounter with Jesus;

We all have a story, and none of us have led a perfect life.  Jesus knows every nook and cranny of our life, and in spite of that, He still loves us.  He is not here to condemn us; only to forgive us. We need to be open to receive his forgiveness, love and blessings.  Once you’re able to do this, you’ll no longer need that water jug.  Jesus will provide for your every need.

What are you holding onto and what is stopping you from reaching out to Him?