Our Daily Bread 1 January 2019 Devotional
Topic: New Year, New Priorities
Read: Ecclesiastes 9:4–12
Bible in a Year: Genesis 1–3; Matthew 1
Scripture: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. Ecclesiastes 9:10
Message: I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the cello. But I’ve never found the time to enroll in a class. Or, perhaps more accurately, I haven’t made the time for it. I had thought that in heaven I could probably master that instrument. In the meantime, I wanted to focus on using my time in the particular ways God has called me to serve Him now.
Life is short, and we often feel the pressure to make the most of our time on Earth before it slips away. But what does that really mean?
Our Daily Bread 1 January 2019 Devotional – New Year, New Priorities
As King Solomon contemplated the meaning of life, he offered two recommendations. First, we’re to live in the most meaningful way we can, which includes fully enjoying the good things God allows us to experience in life, such as food and drink (Ecclesiastes 9:7), clothing and perfume (v. 8 nlt), marriage (v. 9), and all of God’s good gifts—which might include learning how to play the cello!
His second recommendation was diligent work (v. 10). Life is full of opportunities, and there is always more work to be done. We’re to take advantage of the opportunities God gives us, seeking His wisdom on how to prioritize work and play in a way that uses our gifting to serve Him.
Life is a wonderful gift from the Lord. We honor Him when we take pleasure both in His daily blessings and in meaningful service.
Prayer: Father, thank You for this life You’ve given me. Help me to live this new year for You, enjoying Your blessings and fulfilling Your purposes.
Thought for the Day: We can both enjoy God’s blessings and be a blessing to others.
INSIGHT
Ecclesiastes is a book about despair over the futility of life in a broken world. This idea is captured in Solomon’s repeated phrase, “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (1:2). But Ecclesiastes also offers hope in the midst of that futility. In chapter 3, Solomon says that God has put eternity in our hearts (v. 11). While fully engaging in the world and the times in which we live, followers of Christ can also look ahead to eternity with God. (Bill Crowder)
Our Daily Bread 1 January 2019 Devotional – New Year, New Priorities was written by Poh Fang Chia