Read Ecclesiastes 11:1-8
Verse chosen for meditation: Ecclesiastes 11: 4, 5 ESV:
He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
Reflect
Do we look for signs before starting a project? Are we those who are guided by signs?
What about our thoughts on investments? Do we need to see real tangible results?
In all of this, how is God factored? How big a role does he play? Is he a primary or secondary player?
Relate
My take on Ecclesiastes is that it's all about time and timing. It’s about how we see the times of our life and read the signs. It’s about the returns we expect at the end of the day and what really matters at the end.
Twenty years ago, I would have given this book a wide berth. Back then, the whole concept of time felt rather depressing to me because of the inevitable loss of loved ones with its passage, not to mention aging and its attendant woes.
Ironically, it was time that changed me. I became more optimistic than I was at the start. What did me the great service was the practice of spiritual discipline over a period of time, namely the practice of saying 'thank you Lord' for all the good and bad times, more so the latter.
Along the way, my faith grew unknowingly as I knew God better. Whatever I feared would by some means become manageable when it happened. It's certainly not something that I could have done on my own.
Since then, time has stopped being a dread. But it's not all a dream yet although I could sense it going in that direction.
As for signs, I've also learned not to read too much into them. Neither depend too much on what I can see. For wisdom comes in knowing that we are not a good judge of signs no matter how good an expert we think we are. I say this as well to those who claim to have a prophetic gifting.
The author also makes it clear in the passage that there are no short cuts in life. Therefore, do not expect to reap where we have not sowed. Or done anything to prepare ourselves as in the spiritual conditioning of ourselves. This could be in the form of giving of our time and resources, and also praying. It pays to heed the advice given since we do not know when we might reap. Besides, it's always good to be ready so as not to miss the opportune moment.
But in anything, we need first to recognise that we are not God. It behoves us then to remember our Creator and know that he alone is God. The following few verses will help to put us in the right frame of mind and keep us on the right track:
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16: 9)
A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way? (Proverbs 20: 24)
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55: 9)
There are two possible scenarios here. One, if we do not lean too much on our own understanding, chances are things could be beautiful at the end despite how confusing and unsettling it may be right now.
And the other, if we lean too much on our own understanding, there is a good chance it will all be misdirected and meaningless at the end despite how smooth and promising it appears at the moment.
For man needs to learn that he is not the master of his destiny. The true master is the one who says to him: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Rest
Lord, we often think we know best. Or we turn to experts whom we think are the best in their fields. We also look only at tangible returns, things we can appreciate with our limited understanding. We look, too, at opportunities from a viewpoint that is often loaded with vested interest. We need to learn that we are not the true masters, but you are. For that reason, we need to take cues from you more and more each day. And know too what committing to you really means. Above all, at the centre of it all, we need to know that you are the God who makes everything...beautiful in its time.
Naville Chia
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