(See the Intro to Ecclesiastes here)
10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny. 11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?
12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?
Background/Insight:
- Again Solomon focuses in our our frailty in comparison to God. Where are days are short, His go on for eternity.
- Don’t see this passage as Solomon giving up on hope, rather he is clinging on to God.
For your thought/discussion:
- Read through and reflect on the text again. Who does know how our days can be best spent?
- How does thinking about the frailty and “shadow” nature of this life affect how you live it?
- Spend some time in confession and prayer. Ask God to give you his perspective on this life.
Feel free to share any additional insights and prayers with everyone by commenting.
In college I took a film study course. (Mostly we just watched Citzen Kane and the Blue Angel over and over and over again.) But one of the stylistic and artistic things I learned was the use of shadow in film to convey good/bad or something that was unknown.
While there are moments of brilliant clarity, it’s the shadow that casts off a reflection of sorts to the things that are unknown.
So just about an hour ago I completely unraveled at work. (Which is why I’m home for lunch trying to find some perspective.) So how rather convenient that this verse was posted.
We toss around this idea of “what we want to be when we grow up” and as an adult I’ve been spending a lot of time refining and defining but sort of spinning my wheels.
Step out of the shadow and realize that life is longer than just a workplace and a person is defined by more than just what she does for a living. I think too often when the majority of your life is defined as your “job description/resume”, it’s easy to be caught in the darkness of the shadow and not clearly see a definition that the soul and center of who you are is defined by God.
Which then affects how you approach life and relationship and pretty much eveything else.
Tina – just a suggestion….and I know it’s been a long time since you wrote this….but pick up God at Work by Gene Veith. The book has changed the way many people look at their lives, their work, their families, and their relationship with God.
May He continue to bless you…even through your IPOD.