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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain Ecclesiastes 3:12:
Ecclesiastes 3:12-15
Excerpted from: The Fear of GodWhat are we supposed to do with what we understand? They do not understand that God is on a character-building campaign (if I can put it that way). And that character-building campaign requires our cooperation with Him. That is what Solomon and God suggest here, that no one can find out the work that God does from the beginning. Do you know why? It is because they do not fear Him! The fear of God is something that must be given; it is something that must be instilled within a person - and it must be instilled by God.
This is why we should be able to fear; this is where it all begins for you and me. The fear is caused to be in us by virtue of the fact that God has given us the ability to recognize His power (which none can resist), His holiness and justice (which no one can satisfy), and His wisdom (which none can attain to). This is something that we have been given.
It is not in the world! If it was in the world, they would know it, too. But the evidence remains that they do not know what it is that God is working out. We see that men have a form of godliness, but deny the power. God is not really a part of their lives even though they recognize that there is a Creator. They do not understand His wisdom and they do not understand His justice. All of these are evidenced in the doctrines of the churches out there.
We have what we have; and what we have is a fear that has been instilled within us as a result of the calling of God. This may come about as a result of the observation of God's creation. It may come about because of deducing that there is a purpose that is being worked out. But however it comes, there is a fear in the form of awareness, recognition, or apprehension which compels acceptance and submission. But we must choose.
There was a time when we did not have the mind which we now have. This is the work of God instilling within us the recognition of Him that the world does not yet have. And that recognition has compelled you and me to react the way in which we do. It is a gift of God and it is part of His grace.
However, there is in all of us such a powerful drive to stuff this knowledge - hide it, neglect it, bury it, put it in the back of our minds, and deny it. It is part of human nature to do such a thing. We have a tendency to neglect it. We have a tendency to bury it by busying ourselves with activities that are vain. We tend to be lazy about it. And this brings us right back to Hebrews 10:30-31. What I have just described are all forms of contemptuousness toward God, but God is going to judge His people!
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
Excerpted from: Ecclesiastes and the Feast of Tabernacles (Part 2)This has a very beautiful purpose in it. It is God-designed. He has not told us everything. Why? It forces His children to live by faith. "The just shall live by faith." Those who trust God are going to be cognizant of the fact that they cannot control everything and that they have to put their reliance, not in their wisdom, not in their abilities, not in their intelligence, not in their power, not in their money—their reliance has to be given over to Somebody who is in control of these contrasting things.
What is he concluding here? In these things he just mentioned, he is saying it is God who keeps the cycles recurring (even in the weather; even in other things that he mentioned in chapter 1) and that there is a security in knowing that there is a steady Hand at the helm—One that can be absolutely relied upon.
What he is saying here then is that life is not out of control. Do you believe that? You have this desire to know, but you cannot know the future, not completely. God has not given anybody that much insight into what is going on. So Solomon's conclusion is: Make the most you can of your life right now. (He is not talking about being imbalanced. He means doing things in a right order and in balance.) But do it with the understanding that there is a steady Hand at the helm and things are not out of control.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-13
Excerpted from: God's Promise of RestAnd so we can start to see here the curse of that burdensome work and toil is, in the end, a gift and a blessing from God, but to find true satisfaction and fulfillment, we must look above the sun to the Almighty Creator God, who knows the beginning and the end, and who is working from the beginning to the end to create us in His image. We must live daily by faith, spending our time each day with Him, building that relationship with Him so that we could come to know Him and His way of life. We must trust Him through the many struggles and difficulties in this life. We will find no rest under the sun, but there is a promise of rest, here and now into the future.
ArticlesEcclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Four): Other Gifts (2)
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Four): Other Gifts
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Three): Time
SermonsChoices and a Man After God's Own Heart: Turn, Turn, Turn
Pilgrim's Progress
A Search for Identity
Maintaining Good Health (Part 4)
Faith and the Christian Fight (Part Nine)
The Faithfulness of God (Part 1)
Ecclesiastes (Part Five)
Ecclesiastes (Part Six)
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Eight): Time
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Nine)
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Nine)
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Nine)
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