June 5 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 36—Ecclesiastes 11:1–6

¹Cast your bread upon the waters,
     for you will find it after many days.
²Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
     for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
³If the clouds are full of rain,
     they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
     in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
⁴He who observes the wind will not sow,
     and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

⁶In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

Devotional:

Whenever we unduly wait for more favorable times and conditions before we get involved in our Father's work, we entertain a distorted view of God. "For he who comes to him must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Heb. 11:6). Do we believe that it is worth our while? Or rather, that God is worth our while?

Upon occasion we also remain inactive on account of the fear of what might happen, or what people might say or do to us. There can be no doubt that some of these fears are quite justified. The problem arises when we are being controlled by our fears of people and loss. This is generally the case when our course of action is determined by what others think about us or when we are driven by the desire to preserve standing, status quo, etc. The power and greatness of God is then no longer relevant to us, but has been eclipsed by some other god who forces us into subjection and servitude.

Being paralyzed by the fear of what might happen shows plainly what we think about God. What, by the way, does our text say about God? Not much, we might think, since it is only 11:5 that even mentions his name. But much is to be gathered by reading between the lines. Does not the very fact that Qoheleth recommends sustained engagement in the face of uncertainty tell us something about our Maker? The author makes no empty promises and even implies that some ventures will fail (11:2, 6). But this advice makes no sense at all if the reader may not also count on occasional success. If not, why even try?

His teaching implies that we are living in a world that answers to proper investigation, calculation, work, exertion, and even some more risky speculation. But if this is true for life under the sun, then we see behind it a God who makes this possible by his good providence. Notwithstanding the unknown and the presence of disaster, faith in the goodness of God is the only true and ultimate motivation for anything we do in this life, whether it is at home, at work, or elsewhere. Without it, we have no right to venture, which is why the unbeliever is living a lie. With it, however, we have no right not to venture or to be inactive, for somehow God will bring it all together and make things well—like bread cast upon the waters…

The greatest sacrifice or risk is to trade in godliness. The investment is our whole life, but unlike some other ventures, this one promises a certain return to be found "after many days." Jesus says, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matt. 10:39). The stakes are enormous, but so is the reward. Break the pattern of complacency and lose your life in Christ in order to find it.

The author of these devotionals, the Rev. Martin Emmrich, is an ordained OPC minister (Westminster OPC, Corvallis, Oregon) as well as the author of Pneumatological Concepts in the Epistle to the Hebrews, a book on the teaching of Hebrews on the Holy Spirit. We are happy to make these devotionals on Ecclesiastes and other passages of Scripture available to you.