Special Note: As with last week’s emphasis on Ephesians, this week (and maybe some of next) will focus on Ecclesiastes, my favorite book of the Bible. In particular, I’ll focus on the purpose and meaning of life as discussed by this book. For an overview, see my sermon, Live Life in Light of Death. I encourage you to read one chapter of the book daily to go along with these devotions.

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 9

11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful, but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For no one can anticipate one’s time. Like fish taken in a cruel net or like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

Control. 

If you know the Enneagram, you know that type eights, like me, like to have control. Not so much in an angsty kind of way, but in a way of making plans, coordinating efforts, controlling environments, moving things forward. That’s me. Even if you’re not an eight, or not familiar at all with the Enneagram, we all have ways we like to be in control. 

To that, The Teacher would say, havel! It’s a chasing after the wind; a pointless effort to try and control the future. We can make plans, but calamity, misfortune, trials, come to us all, as the Teacher notes . We all suffer from time to time in ways that upend our plans, to small or even large extents. 

And what does the Teacher say we should do? Not spend our time trying to be “swift…strong…wise…intelligent…skillful,” if we think those things will give us control. Instead, eat, drink, and be merry! As we saw last week, this isn’t a call to hedonism for the sake of hedonism, but rather to enjoy what we have today, for we do not have the kind of control over tomorrow that we often think we do. 

It’s like our conversation last night as a family over the board game Catan. Jackson keeps winning, much to my chagrin. He described his strategy this way: “I have a plan in mind, you screw with me [talking to me], and so I keep adjusting the plan as I go. Meanwhile, I have fun.” I think that’s an apt metaphor for life. We plan, as we should, looking ahead to the future. But we have to be willing to adjust, adapt, and, while we’re moving through life, have fun. 

Think
What are you trying to control today that is beyond your control? 

Pray
Give to God whatever it is that you are trying to control but cannot.

Do
What brings you joy naturally? What did God create you to enjoy? Go act for joy today.

Think, Pray, Do. As we respond in faith to scripture, God moves in power through our minds, hearts, and bodies. We are the people of God. Thanks for reading today. Go in peace. Amen.

Think, Pray, Do devotionals by Ted Goshorn follow the suggested bible reading plan from his website and book, Prayer Changes Us. Find this Bible reading plan at tedgoshorn.org/biblereading. If you have found today’s devotion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe for daily emails at tedgoshorn.org and share with others that we may think, pray, and do faithfully.