ANGLICAN DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL NOVEMBER 12, 2021 (WISDOM LESSONS FROM THE IRONY OF LIFE”)
TOPIC: ”WISDOM LESSONS FROM THE IRONY OF LIFE”
Read: Ecclesiastes 10:1-11(NKJV)
1. Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; [So does] a little folly to one respected for wisdom [and] honor.
2. A wise man’s heart [is] at his right hand, But a fool’s heart at his left.
3. Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone [that] he [is] a fool.
4. If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses.
5. There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler:
6. Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place.
7. I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.
8. He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
9. He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, [And] he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
10. If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.
11. A serpent may bite when [it is] not charmed; The babbler is no different.
MESSAGE
The Preacher in this passage presents to us great words of wisdom to guide the righteous (vv. 2 & 10b). They illustrate that one’s actions determine the result one gets. Verse 4 of our text gives a wise counsel of how to get pardoned from great offences (GNB). What is this counsel?
Verses 5-7 give us an account of two unnatural scenarios of human error occurrences that are opposite each other. Read them again and meditate on how true this applies to your life and that of others in government, schools and organisations. Have you at any time been denied anything that belongs to you and such thing is then given to someone who does not merit it?
Verses 8-10 show three actions of men that attract immediate punishment. What happens to the following: Anyone who digs a pit for someone else to fall into?, he who breaks through another person’s fence?, he that heweth out stones?, and he that uses a blunt knife to cut a tree? From these passages, we learn with great caution that what we wish for others has a way of returning to us, and when we set traps for others to fall, we may also be caught in the same trap.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, deliver me from life’s errors, and give me the wisdom to do the right thing so that I can gain what is right from You.
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