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by Peter Kennedy
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Devotional - Banish Worry
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Devotional - Banish Worry

"So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless." - Ecclesiastes 11:10


Shortly after the death of his mother, Princess Diana of Wales, in 1997, Prince Harry experienced severe anxiety and panic attacks. "Before I even left the house [for royal engagements], I was pouring with sweat and my heart was racing. I was in the fight-or-flight mode," Harry said.

That led the young royal to turn to substances to try and cope with his overwhelming emotions. “I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs, I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling," he explained. "I would probably drink a week's worth in one day on a Friday or a Saturday night."

Prince Harry shares in his new memoir that he struggled with agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder that causes intense fear in certain situations, such as among crowds.

Harry writes: “I was an agoraphobe. Which was nearly impossible given my public role.”

He also recalls that he “nearly fainted” during one speech that “couldn’t be avoided or canceled.”


We need to banish worry from our minds, it can sap joy from our life. Today in prayer, give the Jesus all of your worries and cares.


"I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?" - Henry Ford


God's Word: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Do Good Everywhere
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
Devotional - Do Good Everywhere

"Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again." - Ecclesiastes 11:1


Charles Spurgeon was known as the “Prince of Preachers” and was the pastor of Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. He said the following: “We must not expect to see an immediate reward for all the good we do; nor must we always confine our efforts to places and persons which seem likely to yield us a recompense for our labors. The Egyptian casts his seed upon the waters of the Nile, where it might seem a sheer waste of corn. But in due time the flood subsides, the rice or other grain sinks into the fertile mud, and rapidly a harvest is produced. Let us today do good to the unthankful and the evil. Let us teach the careless and the obstinate. Unlikely waters may cover hopeful soil. Nowhere shall our labor be in vain in the Lord.”


The Lord desires us to step out in faith and to take real steps to follow Him. Today in prayer, cast your bread upon the water, trusting that Jesus will bless your action no longer how long it takes. 


"For it is in giving that we receive." - Francis of Assisi


God's Word: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." - 2 Corinthians 9:6


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Words Fly
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Tuesday Jun 25, 2024
Devotional - Words Fly

"Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say." - Ecclesiastes 10:20


In 2013, authorities in western China apparently wanted to make an example of 16-year-old Yang Hui.

He was the first person in China to be arrested under a new rule against "rumor mongers," defined as people who intentionally post on social media a rumor that is reposted 500 times or more, or viewed 5,000 times or more.

Yang had posted that a recent local death, that had been ruled a suicide by the police, was suspicious and it was actually a murder that the police were covering up.

The police took offense to Yang’s words and had him arrested for "picking fights and stirring up trouble." The police also accused him of "spreading rumors," "inciting crowds to protest" and hampering the police investigation into the alleged suicide.

As criticism of Yang Hui's arrest spread online, the government retreated.

His criminal arrest was downgraded to administrative detention. He was then released without charge.


Once spoken or written, our words can take flight and land where we do not intend them. Today in prayer, ask Jesus to direct your speech so it will bring Him glory.


"Open your ears, for which of you will stop the vent of hearing when loud Rumor speaks?" - William Shakespeare


God's Word: "A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends." - Proverbs 16:28


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Guard Against Foolish Words
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Monday Jun 24, 2024
Devotional - Guard Against Foolish Words

“Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips.” - Ecclesiastes 10:12


In an article entitled “18 Spectacularly Wrong Predictions Were Made Around the Time of the First Earth Day in 1970, Expect More This Year” author Mark J. Perry recounts some of those failed predictions. Here are three of them:

  • Harvard biologist George Wald estimated that “civilization will end within 15 or 30 years [by 1985 or 2000] unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind.”
  • Harrison Brown, a scientist at the National Academy of Sciences, published a chart in Scientific American that looked at metal reserves and estimated that humanity would totally run out of copper shortly after 2000. Lead, zinc, tin, gold, and silver would be gone before 1990.
  • Kenneth Watt warned about a pending Ice Age in a speech. “The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years,” he declared. “If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an Ice Age.”


We need to guard our lips against foolish talk and we need be gracious in our speech. Today in prayer, ask Jesus to give you wisdom in all that you say. 


“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.” – Dale Carnegie


God's Word: "Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin." - Proverbs 10:14


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †


Devotional - Folly Outweighs Wisdom
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Sunday Jun 23, 2024
Devotional - Folly Outweighs Wisdom

“As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.” - Ecclesiastes 10:1


In 879, Louis III became King of West Francia (precursor to France) at the age of 14 years old. Two years later, he had stunning success conquering new tracts of territory, and he defeated Viking raiders. His colorful victories against the Vikings entertained the public, and he was loved by most of the Francian people. In Neustria, he was widely celebrated, and he was the most popular person in the realm.

But in August 882, the 17-year-old was in Saint-Denis, France, when he caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman he desired. Racing on horseback he pursued her! Clearly not seeing where he was headed, he whacked his royal skull on a low door lintel. His cranium fractured; King Louis III died to teach us an important life lesson about foolishness.


Foolishness can take lives. Today in prayer, ask Jesus to give you wisdom in all that you do so you may bring honor and glory to Him.


"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom." - Charles H. Spurgeon


God's Word: "Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly." - Proverbs 13:16


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - The Reward For Wisdom
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Thursday Jun 20, 2024
Devotional - The Reward For Wisdom

"There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man." - Ecclesiastes 9:14-15


Martin Luther often used this illustration: Themistocles rose to prominence in the early years of the Athenian democracy. As a politician, Themistocles was a populist, having the support of lower-class Athenians, and generally being at odds with the Athenian nobility. Elected in 493 BC, he championed a strong navy, a recurring theme in his political career. During the first Persian invasion of Greece, he fought at the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), and may have been one of the ten Athenian generals in that battle.

In the years after Marathon, and in the run-up to the second Persian invasion of 480–479 BC, Themistocles became the most prominent politician in Athens. He continued to advocate for a strong Athenian navy, and in 483 BC he persuaded the Athenians to build a fleet of 200 ships, these proved crucial in the forthcoming conflict with Persia. During the second invasion, he commanded the Greek allied navy at the battles of Artemisium and Salamis in 480 BC. He successfully lured the Persian fleet into the Straits of Salamis, and the decisive Greek victory there was the turning point of the war.

After the conflict ended, Themistocles continued his pre-eminence among Athenian politicians. However, he aroused the hostility of Sparta by ordering the re-fortification of Athens, and his perceived arrogance began to alienate him from the Athenians. In 472 or 471 BC, he was ostracized, and went into exile in Argos.


Only God remembers the wise decisions made throughout history. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for His wisdom and pray for wisdom in all that you do.


"You cannot access wisdom by the megabyte. Wisdom is concerned with how we relate to people, to the world, and to God." - Edmund P. Clowney


God's Word: "For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." - Proverbs 2:6


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - To Know Wisdom
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Wednesday Jun 19, 2024
Devotional - To Know Wisdom

"When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth--his eyes not seeing sleep day or night" - Ecclesiastes 8:16


In his book “Hiroshima”, author John Hersey writes: “It was a stifling hot morning that August in Hiroshima, Japan. In 1945, citizens feared a pending air strike from the allied forces of World War II. Many people were evacuating belongings from their homes and making preparation for their safety. Hiroshima was one of the largest cities in Japan that had not yet been hit, and most people expected a raid any day.

When the air raid siren sounded the morning of August 6, 1945 the city thought the attack had begun, but a few minutes later, the all clear was sounded. Japanese radar operators, seeing only three American planes, decided that this was not a serious attack. A few moments later, the first atomic bomb used in war was dropped on the city, killing tens of thousands of people instantly. They believed that they were safe from attack, not realizing the nature of what was about to happen.”

Often Christians make the fatal mistake of underestimating our enemy. He is vicious and determined, and if we let down our guard, he will strike. The Bible warns us not to forsake wisdom.


In all that you do, seek wisdom. Today in prayer, thank Jesus for His Word and seek His wisdom in the Bible in all your decisions.


"He is truly wise who looks upon all earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ." - Thomas a Kempis


God's Word: "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,

for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold." - Proverbs 3:13-14


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Enjoy Life
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Devotional - Enjoy Life

"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun." - Ecclesiastes 8:15

 

Pastor Kyle Rye tells the following story: “There was a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily behind his boat.

"Why aren't you out there fishing?" he asked

"Because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman.

"Why don't catch more fish than you need?" the rich man asked.

"What would I do with them?"

"You could earn more money," came the impatient reply, "and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me."

The fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?"

"You could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist.

"What do you think I'm doing now?" the fisherman replied.”

 

God also wants us to enjoy life. Today is a gift from the Lord; enjoy the day and follow Him every day! Today in prayer, ask the Lord to give you a fresh appreciation for your life and a joy for living. 

 

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

 

God's Word: "Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do." - Ecclesiastes 9:7

 

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS † 

Devotional - Be Patient
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Monday Jun 17, 2024
Devotional - Be Patient

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” - Ecclesiastes 7:8


In his classic devotional “My Utmost for His Highest”, author Oswald Chambers expounds upon Revelation 3:10 where it says “Because thou hast kept the word of My patience” writing: “Patience is more than endurance. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says–‘I cannot stand anymore.’ God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God’s hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”


We need to be patient and take the long view in living our lives. Today in prayer, praise Jesus for His patience toward you and seek to be patient in all that you do.


"Patience is the queen of all virtues." - John Chrysostom


God's Word: "A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly." - Proverbs 14:29


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Bribery Corrupts The Heart
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Sunday Jun 16, 2024
Devotional - Bribery Corrupts The Heart

“Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.” - Ecclesiastes 7:7

 

In December 2023, a former Cincinnati city councilman was sentenced in federal court to 24 months in prison for honest services wire fraud.

While serving as a city councilman in fall 2018, Jeffrey Pastor, 39, of Cincinnati, received a $15,000 cash bribe in return for his official action to advance development projects in the city.

According to court documents, in September 2018 Pastor and his associate flew to Miami, Florida, on a private plane to meet with investors regarding a real estate development project. Pastor never paid for or disclosed the trip. During the trip, Pastor explained he would ensure favorable action on behalf of the city for the project and could receive money through his associate’s non-profit entity (which had been incorporated two weeks prior). Pastor discussed “compensation” and agreed to accept $15,000 for helping with the project. He said the purpose of his associate’s entity was to “sanitize” the money.

After receiving the money, Pastor continued to solicit bribes on multiple occasions for an eight-month period.


Maintain your personal integrity and flee from any bribery. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to keep you away from any bribes.


"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." - George Washington


God's Word: "Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous." - Exodus 23:8


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Wealth Is Fleeting
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Thursday Jun 13, 2024
Devotional - Wealth Is Fleeting

"God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil." - Ecclesiastes 6:2


Mickey Carroll was only 19 years old and working as a refuse collector when he won a British jackpot that sent him into early adulthood with the equivalent of $11.8 million. Soon after winning the jackpot, Carroll stated he would not be tempted into spending his money lavishly and only wanted to buy a three-bedroom house near a lake, where he could go fishing. That did not happen.

The media dubbed him the “Lotto Lout” as the young winner tore through his newfound fortune with astonishing speed. Much of it went to drug-fueled partying, with the rest wasted on jewelry, cars and other materialistic excesses.

In 2016, he was earning a few hundred dollars a week working in a slaughterhouse. In 2021, he remarried his ex-wife, who had left him for cheating with prostitutes during his high-rolling heyday.

He wrote an autobiography entitled “Careful What You Wish For”.

 

Money is fleeting. We need to spend every valuable moment of life bringing glory to Christ. Today in prayer, give the Lord your undivided heart and seek to glorify Him in all that you do.


"I will place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ." - David Livingstone


God's Word: "Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God." - Ecclesiastes 5:19


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Loving Money
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Wednesday Jun 12, 2024
Devotional - Loving Money

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." - Ecclesiastes 5:10


John Camden Neild (1780-1852) was a landlord and notorious miser famous for leaving all of his property to Queen Victoria (who accepted it).

Neild inherited his father's fortune and basically spent the last 30 years of his life being a cranky miser about it. He kept his massive house sparsely furnished, including going without a bed for a stretch, just to save on expenses. He wouldn't buy an overcoat and the clothes he did have were in constant disrepair. He had tenants on his vast estates in Buckinghamshire but refused to repair their homes when needed. He even neglected a church on one of his properties, choosing to stuff the cracks with cotton rather than have them properly repaired.


Money should NOT command our affection and be the driving force in our lives. Today in prayer, praise Jesus that true wealth is knowing and loving Him.


"There is nothing that makes men rich and strong but that which they carry inside of them. Wealth is of the heart, not of the hand." – John Milton


God's Word: "A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished." - Proverbs 28:20


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Be Careful With Your Words
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Tuesday Jun 11, 2024
Devotional - Be Careful With Your Words

"Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few." - Ecclesiastes 5:2


The following are actual corrections newspapers made following an error in reporting:

“Due to a typing error, Saturday’s story on local artist Jon Henninger mistakenly reported that Henninger’s band mate Eric Lyday was on drugs. The story should have read that Lyday was on drums. The Sentinel regrets the error.”

“There was an error printed in a story, titled “Pigs Float Down the Dawson” on page 11 of yesterday’s Bully. The story, by reporter Daniel Burdon, said “more than 30,000 pigs were floating down the Dawson River”. What Baralaba piggery owner Sid Everingham actually said was “30 sows and pigs”, not “30,000 pigs”.  The Morning Bulletin would like to apologize for this error.”

Finally, baseball pitcher Pat Venditte has the rare ability to pitch with either arm. However, instead of calling Pat an “ambidextrous pitcher”, one newspaper called him an “amphibious pitcher”.


We need to think and speak less and when we do, it should be truth. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He hears all and understands all and seek to glorify in Him with your speech.


"Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he." - Publilius Syrus


God's Word: "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." - Proverbs 10:19


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Two Are Better Than One
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Monday Jun 10, 2024
Devotional - Two Are Better Than One

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10


In an article entitled “Four Reasons Why Two Are Better Than One”, author Nathaniel Hall writes the following: “God designed us to thrive in healthy community. This community is intended to strive toward a common goal–to glorify Him. The importance of teamwork (in contrast to independent work) is illustrated well with Belgian Draft Horses. One Belgian Draft Horse can pull up to 8,000 pounds. You would expect then for two Belgian Draft Horses to pull 16,000lbs. Surprisingly, two Belgian Draft Horses can pull more than double the weight that a single horse can; up to 22,000 pounds.

Like a Belgian Draft Horse, God calls his people “to run the race set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). We are better when we strive together. We aren’t called to run a solo race. In Hebrews 12:1, the emphasis is on “us” (plural), rather than “me” (singular). Christianity isn’t a solo sport; it is a team game. We cross the goal line together. Just two chapters before, Hebrews 10:23-25 encourages us not to forsake the assembly of ourselves together but to spur one another on. Just as two horses can more effectively work together, we are also called as God’s people to connect and strive as Jesus’s community on mission.”


The Lord brings spouses and friends into our lives because two are better than one for the difficult tasks in life. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for the friends and family that He has brought in your life that bring you support and comfort.


"Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil." - Baltasar Gracian


God's Word: "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 4:12


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Unable to Fathom Eternity
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Sunday Jun 9, 2024
Devotional - Unable to Fathom Eternity

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

In St. Petersburg Russia, the Field of Mars has an area of remembrance for the many Russians who died during various wars and revolutions. In 1957, an eternal flame was lit in the center of the square. The flame, lit from the open-hearth furnace of the Kirov Factory, was the first eternal flame in Russia.

The Field of Mars had become a popular location for demonstrations and protests on issues such as political prisoners, fair elections, anti-corruption measures, etc. This status was acknowledged in December 2012 when the square was designated a "Hyde Park" by the Governor of Saint Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko, making it a "specially designated place in the city for the collective discussion of socially significant issues and the expression of citizens' public sentiments."

But in December 2023, a teenage boy threw armfuls of snow at the Eternal Flame, while two other boys cheer him on. When the fire went out, the children ran away. The “eternal flame” only stayed lit for 66 years.


Though we have eternity in our hearts, we cannot truly fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is God over all of time and is to be praised throughout all of eternity.


"We are citizens of eternity." – Fyodor Dostoyevsky


God's Word: ""The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began." - Proverbs 8:22-23


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - A Time For Everything
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Thursday Jun 6, 2024
Devotional - A Time For Everything

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" - Ecclesiastes 3:1


Leonard Sweet, in his book “The Bad Habits of Jesus: Showing us the Way to Live Right In a World Gone Wrong”, writes the following:

“William F. Allen, who in 1883 “pulled off a miracle.” What he did was to get not just an entire coast to pull in sync, but an entire nation. In [New Jersey Governor Tom] Kean’s words,

Until high noon on October 18, 1883, every rail line ran on its own time. Every train station set its own clocks by the sun. So when it was noon in New York, it was 11:58 in Trenton and 11:56 in Camden, and so on. Pure chaos. Allen was chosen to sort out this mess, and after eight years he convinced the nation to adopt the time zones that we have today.

The task the church faces is a lot like Allen’s, except we are trying to get people to adopt the time zone of eternity. As my mother, Mabel Boggs Sweet, used to put it, ‘God’s clock keeps perfect time.’”


The Lord calls us into different seasons and we need to live each of these days bringing glory to Him. Today in prayer, thank Christ for this time in your life and seek to follow His will each and every day.


"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend." - Theophrastus


God's Word: "I thought in my heart, "God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed." -Ecclesiastes 3:17


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Finding Joy
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Wednesday Jun 5, 2024
Devotional - Finding Joy

"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" - Ecclesiastes 2:24-25


Pastor John Piper offers 15 Biblical things we must do to Fight for Joy:

1) Realize that authentic joy in God is a gift

2) Realize that joy must be fought for relentlessly

3) Resolve to attack all known sin in your life

4) Learn how to fight like a justified sinner

5) Realize that the battle is primarily a fight to see God for who he is

6) Meditate on the word of God day and night

7) Pray earnestly and continually for an inclination

8) Learn to preach to yourself rather than listen to yourself

9) Spend time with God-saturated people who help you see God and fight the fight

10) Be patient in the night of God's seeming absence

11) Get the rest, exercise, and diet your body needs

12) Make a proper use of God's revelation in nature

13) Read great books about God and biographies of great saints

14) Do the hard and loving thing for the sake of others—witness and mercy

15) Get a global vision for the cause of Christ and pour yourself out for the unreached.


Our lives do belong to the Lord and outside of Him we will not find enjoyment. Today in prayer, praise Christ that in Him we can find an abundant and joyful life.


"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." – John Piper


God's Word: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:12-13


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - Pleasure Is Meaningless Too
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Tuesday Jun 4, 2024
Devotional - Pleasure Is Meaningless Too

"I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless." - Ecclesiastes 2:1


Allan Carr was the greatest hedonist of his time. The Beverly Hills talent scout managed Tony Curtis, Peter Sellers, Joan Rivers and "Mama" Cass Elliot, and he is credited with discovering numerous other stars, including Olivia Newton-John, Mark Hamill and Steve Guttenberg.

He was legendary for his parties at his home where there was an excess of food, alcohol, drugs and sex. Attendees included Rita Hayworth to Warren Beatty and Mick Jagger.

"Glamor is entertainment. That's what entertainment is about... It's the American Dream come true," said Carr who died in 1999 of liver cancer from a life of excess.


Seeking pleasure does not bring fulfillment; that can only come through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, thank Christ that in Him we can find contentment in all circumstances.


"I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy." - C.S. Lewis


God's Word: "He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich." - Proverbs 21:17


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - There Is Nothing New
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Monday Jun 3, 2024
Devotional - There Is Nothing New

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." - Ecclesiastes 1:9-11


The first modern coin-operated vending machines were introduced in London, England in the early 1880s, dispensing postcards. The machine was invented by Percival Everitt in 1883 and soon became a widespread feature at railway stations and post offices, dispensing envelopes, postcards, and notepaper.

But the first recorded vending machine was invented by Hero of Alexandria around 50 AD. The mathematician devised a vending machine-type device to make sure people weren't over indulging in holy water at Egyptian temples.

It worked in much the same way that today's vending machines do: You put coins in the top and the weight of the coin opened a valve that let the holy water flow out. But eventually the coin slid off the tray and the lever snapped back, and no more water would be released without additional funds.

 

New “discoveries” are often just rediscoveries. But the greatest discovery of all is having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that in Him we will truly learn new things each day.


"The Christian life is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ lived nineteen hundred years ago, lived now by Him in you!" - W. Ian Thomas


God's Word: "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." - John 5:39-40


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

Devotional - When Life Becomes Meaningless
Posted by Peter Kennedy on Sunday Jun 2, 2024
Devotional - When Life Becomes Meaningless

"The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher. 'Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.'" - Ecclesiastes 1:1-2


In his book “Lectionary Sermon Resource: Year A Part 1”, Will Willimons writes:

“Burnout is the disease of our age. Time magazine had an editorial way back in the 1980s about “the burnout of just about everybody.” I concluded that the metaphor of burnout was not quite right, particularly when applied to those of us in the church. Burnout is a term that is borrowed from rocketry, when a rocket rising from the earth runs out of fuel, “burns out,” and falls to the earth.

Burnout implies that our problem is a lack of energy. I have concluded that many people who think they are “burning out” do so, not from the lack of energy, but from a lack of meaning (emph. mine). We are tired and despondent. The French call it ennui; the Bible speaks of the “noonday demon,” depression.”


Loving Jesus Christ brings meaning and purpose to life. Today in prayer, pray for those people who you know who do not yet know Jesus. Pray they may have a personal relationship with Him and in Him they may have eternal life. 


"The only reason why man as man has individual significance is that Christ died for him."  - George MacLeod


God's Word: "'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher. 'Everything is meaningless!'" - Ecclesiastes 12:8


By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SONGS †

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