Diligence in Seeking God

Ecclesiastes 11:1-10

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,
For you will find it after many days.
2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,
For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

3 If the clouds are full of rain,
They empty themselves upon the earth;
And if a tree falls to the south or the north,
In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.

4 He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind,
Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,
So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

6 In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.

7 Truly the light is sweet,
And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun;
8 But if a man lives many years
And rejoices in them all,
Yet let him remember the days of darkness,
For they will be many.
All that is coming is vanity.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.

10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,
And put away evil from your flesh,
For childhood and youth are vanity.

The wise man is diligent to give as investing in the needy for God’s blessings and patiently sowing to await a harvest in return.  This is similar to the parable in Luke 16:9-10 concerning using unjust riches but still helping others and being helped in return, but is more in line with simply investing all we have been given in righteous ways to help others without thought of our own return on the investment in the needy.  The natural order which God has given has provision in a systematic way, for the clouds build up moisture to water the earth and trees fall of their own accord when it is time to fertilize the forest and make room for new growth.  Yes, we should also live as we were designed to tend the earth and be fruitful in filling it with our offspring.  In a spiritual sense this includes making spiritual children, disciples, and tending their growth as part of that mandate to us all in Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).  If we merely observe the word of agog and His order but do nothing, then it is as watching the wind and clouds but not planting at the right time or planning for the cloudbursts to water what we sow.  It is God’s work to plant His Spirit in those we sow the gospel in (John 3:3, 8) and it is He who causes the birth process, both physical and spiritual.  It is good to know these things and to observe them, but action is required on our part to sow and water (1 Corinthians 3:6-8) for the supernatural growth to happen.  We are co-laborers with God in His work.  Therefore we should be about our Father’s business as we go about our business, sowing wherever we go that God’s work in the souls of lost men and women may hear and be moved by His wind to believe and receive (John 1:12) Jesus Christ as that work (John 6:28-29).  We do not pick and choose who to tell, for we cannot see the hearts nor know God’s predetermined choice of who He gives the power to choose life in Christ through hearing the gospel.  He blows life and understanding and forms the spiritual new life within the womb of dead men and women (Ephesians 2:5-6) just as He did in our physical birth (Psalm 139:13-14).  We also are told to remember dark days while enjoying the light in a long life, knowing that dark days come as well, and remembering the darkness before He shone His light in us (2 Corinthians 4:6, John 1:9, 12-13).  It is vain and meaningless to forget what we have been saved for as well as to, in other words.  We are also encouraged by the preacher to beware living for pleasure of the eye and heart (1 John 2:15-17) and into judgment for these instead of living to do God’s will which includes sowing gospel seed to as many as we meet along life’s paths.  We are to do this by avoiding the evil of sinful thoughts and actions and then finding His joy to replace the sorrow of the darkness in which we one walked.  We grow up in Christ the head as we so encourage and build up one another (Ephesians 4:15-16).  This is our diligence in seeking God.  God works in the spiritual realm to give life; this shows some evidence in a changed life afterwards but is not something you can see happening.  Jesus tried to tell Nicodemus of His working to regenerate us, a new birth is by God's breath (spirit) into us, as in the creation of Adam.  We must never imagine we are in Christ based on our upbringing or what good things we do; only Christ dying in our place and grace given for us to believe that will ever allow God's breath to change us from death to life (John 3:6-8, Genesis 2:7).  If we live only for our own satisfaction and do as we feel for what looks good to us, we will miss the mark of God's best for us and find ourselves accountable in the final day.  But if we find joy in Christ and His work and word, choosing to obey out of love, then we grow up spiritually, and we so can rest in facing Him throughout all time.  Not grasping after the wind vainly but following the wind of the Spirit of God as He guides us into all truth and deed.  Amen!