"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Monday, July 25, 2016 with Scripture Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23
Ecclesiastes 1:2 Pointless! Pointless! — says Kohelet —
Utterly meaningless! Nothing matters!
12 I, Kohelet, have been king over Isra’el in Yerushalayim. 13 I wisely applied myself to seek out and investigate everything done under heaven. What a bothersome task God has given humanity to keep us occupied! 14 I have seen all the activities that are done under the sun, and it’s all pointless, feeding on wind.
2:18 I hated all the things for which I had worked under the sun, because I saw that I would have to leave them to the man who will come after me. 19 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the things I worked for and which demonstrated how wise I am under the sun. This too is pointless. 20 Thus I came to despair over all the things I had worked for under the sun. 21 Here is a man whose work is done with wisdom, knowledge and skill; yet he has to leave it to someone who has put no work into it. This is not only pointless, but a great evil. 22 For what does a person get from all his efforts and ambitions permeating the work he does under the sun? 23 His whole life is one of pain, and his work is full of stress; even at night his mind gets no rest. This too is pointless.
-------The teacher pushes us to consider what is substantial and what is merely vaporous, a vanity. Human toil for wealth, fame, public office, or anything that might be considered valuable has little, if any, shelf life. This begs the question, "What does?" In my former work with ELCA World Hunger I met some of the most amazing people in the church. They would release huge amounts of assets without any need for recognition or public announcement of their generosity. Each and every one understood that the wealth they had been given the opportunity to steward was not a possession but a trust. They held this trust through the work of those who had preceded them and passed it on for those who would follow. Their service was not in vain, because of their motivation.
When my daughter was very young she loved to play cook. She would cut, chop, sautच and serve the most wonderful pretend meals. I asked her once why she did it. Her response was something to the effect of how she saw me doing similar things, and she wanted to make sure we ate healthy. When I asked what she thought was my reason for preparing meals, she said "because you love us."
Gracious God, help us to see that love for you and our neighbor is never in vain. Teach us to always look for those occasions when, even though our actions may seem small and ineffectual, they lift up the other and contribute to the common good. Amen.
Rodger Prois
Bishop Western Iowa Synod, ELCA
Master of Divinity , 1993
Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity...
12 I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem,
13 applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with.
14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind...
2:18 I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me
19 --and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun,
21 because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun?
23 For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.[New Revised Standard Version]
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When my daughter was very young she loved to play cook. She would cut, chop, sautच and serve the most wonderful pretend meals. I asked her once why she did it. Her response was something to the effect of how she saw me doing similar things, and she wanted to make sure we ate healthy. When I asked what she thought was my reason for preparing meals, she said "because you love us."
Gracious God, help us to see that love for you and our neighbor is never in vain. Teach us to always look for those occasions when, even though our actions may seem small and ineffectual, they lift up the other and contribute to the common good. Amen.
Rodger Prois
Bishop Western Iowa Synod, ELCA
Master of Divinity , 1993
Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity...
12 I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem,
13 applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with.
14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind...
2:18 I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me
19 --and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun,
21 because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun?
23 For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.[New Revised Standard Version]
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