Monday Reflection \u2013 September 28, 2020
A Word to the Youth<\/p>\n\n\n
Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, \u201cI have no pleasure in them\u201d. Ecclesiastes 12:1<\/p>\n\n\n
How do we make sense of life? What do we need to do to make the best of the life that we have? How do we experience joy and fulfillment in this life? These are among many questions that we all ask ourselves. If we have not asked ourselves these questions, it is either that we have not lived long enough or we are not passionately pursuing life to make the best of it. People of every age and culture wrestle with these issues. Solomon was no different as he too tried to make sense of life. Though given wisdom from God, he outlines in the book of Ecclesiastes that he sought after joy and fulfillment and tried money, material possessions, sexual pleasures and much more, but as he puts it, \u201cVanity of vanities, all is vanity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
Having experienced all that, Solomon offers a sound word of advice to young people as he concludes his book. He challenges them to remember Yahweh while they are young and before the evil days come. For him, youth must quickly recognize that they are God\u2019s property, so they should serve him from the start of their years and not the end of it when service is very limited. There is the need to realize that God is our Creator who has beautifully fashioned us into his image and likeness. Sin has separated us from God, but through Christ\u2019s death and resurrection we can all experience new life in God so life can be lived with God-directed purpose. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
But why this advice from Solomon? In verses 1-5 the reasons are outlined, as Solomon speaks of the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, that are not darkened, and follows this up with a poetic description of the effects of advancing age. So he speaks of:<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The keepers of the house tremble: The arms and hands that keep the body now begin to tremble<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The strong men bow down: The legs and knees begin to sag<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The grinders cease because they are few: Teeth are lost and chewing is more difficult<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The windows grow dim: The eyes get dim<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The sound of grinding is low: The ears become weaker and weaker<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One rises up at the sound of a bird: Sleep becomes more difficult and one is easy wakened<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The daughters of music are brought low: Singing and music are less appreciated<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Afraid of height, and of terrors in the way: One becomes more fearful in life<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The almond tree blossoms: The hair becomes white<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The grasshopper is a burden: The once active become weak and become dependent<\/p>\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Desire fails: The passions and desires of life weaken and wane<\/p>\n\n\n
Solomon follows this up with a final plea in verses 6-7. The youth should remember God before they die. Death is depicted as the irreversible shattering of a golden bowl when cut from the end of a silver cord and the similar smashing of a pitcher or wheel (verse 6). After death, we must all face the judgment. Let us all, young and old, live our lives in full surrender to God and to God\u2019s glory, since we don\u2019t know when our end will come.<\/p>\n\n\n
Jermaine Gibson\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monday Reflection \u2013 September 28, 2020 A Word to the Youth Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, \u201cI have no pleasure in them\u201d. Ecclesiastes\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"template":"","watchword_topic":[13],"class_list":["post-337","watchword","type-watchword","status-publish","hentry","watchword_topic-christian-living"],"yoast_head":"\n