Ecclesiastes 7-9; Psalm 46; 2 Timothy 3

I watched a lot of black and white movies and a lot of musicals when I was back home, as a child, with my family. Here is a clip I pulled, Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life. The solution to the question of the mystery of life was love.

“For it is love alone for which the world is seeking; and it is love alone which can repay.”

Solomon had not reached that conclusion yet. He is stuck on the secret of life being significance, meaningfulness, and a sense of contentment about one’s life.

There is a little more clarity here.

Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with its turmoil. – Psalm 46:2-3 HCSB

When God is on my side, how irrational fear is. Where God is there is all power and all love – why would I ever be afraid?

However, I know I can make my own choice, as Solomon did.

But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people! – 2 Timothy 3:1-5 HCSB

Lovers of ourselves, love of self and focused more on self-love – they all have the word love in these expressions, but are not the words that would describe God when we say that God is love.

Love is only powerful when it reflects the very nature of God and my walk with God reveals that I have spent time with Him when in fact I have loved others as I have loved Him and He me.

Father, I want to mature in my love for You and for others. There is another way to live this life fulfilled, with meaning and with significance and that is to wrap myself in Your love and be changed by it. May my heart realize that when I am in You and You in me, I walk this life with no fear, and why should I? You walk with me. I am not sure how it is that I easily find myself thinking more about myself than others – forgive me. Teach me who I should spend time with in fellowship so that I will be encouraged and built up to serve You faithfully. Amen.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)