Win-Win Situation

Within Ecclesiastes 4 are thoughts of oppression and violence; the abuse of power and authority that persisted throughout societies during the time of its writing. It was believed that there was nothing that could be done to create peaceful societies because of the competitiveness inherent in man’s nature.

In many there is a natural competitive streak and this is often thought of as a positive trait among people in current times. It’s good to want to be the best. A competitive person is driven to be the best they can be so they work hard but within society, there needs to be a balance between the desire for personal gain and doing what is good for all; in other words, making sure society is fostering a win-win situation for all.

On the other hand, a society with no incentives for personal gain produces an apathetic attitude among its people which leads to a win-lose situation. Those in power stay in power and no matter how hard a person works, they are stuck at the bottom with no upward movement. There is a fatal flaw in a society that has no accountability among its leaders and they remain in power. The economy struggles and there is chaos and confusion.

The best form of leadership is God’s way. There’s power, safety, and success in pulling together because people can support, encourage, and strengthen one another. They can tap into the faith, hope, and love of other believers so their talents or skills combine to strengthen the whole body of Christ.

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This day with God, pray for yourself, your spouse, your parents, your children. Pray for opportunities to help someone come to know Christ. Pray for a society of peace where leaders let it be known that God’s way is followed. Pray that God would use you to work for His glory.

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This Day with God Devotional.

Set Free

The author of Ecclesiastes is thought to be Solomon. He reflects on the experiences of life. His philosophy of conflicting thoughts on materialism, pleasures of life, and our duty to God. Ecclesiastes deals with the feeling of emptiness even when people have everything.

Solomon, the son of David became king at a very young age. God gave him wisdom, a discerning heart, and great wealth. He ruled under a time of peace and the economy flourished. Solomon was a great intellectual; known all through the world during his time for great wisdom. Unfortunately, he married many wives from other nations and they led him astray. He began to follow other gods and his kingdom began to tear apart.

As we read in Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, life to Solomon is repetition and is tiresome. It was as if he had nothing to live far, nothing more to accomplish. He’s recording his own folly, shame, and his disappointment. He’s learned a hard lesson that wealth and the things of this world do not benefit the soul, judgment, or eternity.

I once heard a story about some people who were doing some studies of whales. They came across one whale that was hung up in a net and dying. After hours of work, they were able to set the whale free. The whale put on a display as he was free and gained speed in the water; doing some of those “Sea World” whale jumps with an expression of joy and thankfulness for those that set him free.

We too get mired in nets that trap us in life and we need help being set free. Let us be reminded before we pray today that God is sovereign, majestic and all-powerful. Nothing is too difficult for Him; He is bigger than any problem we could bring to Him.

This day with God, we know that Jesus sets us free and we can leap for joy at God’s amazing grace. 

For an inspirational start to each day, join the journey at:

This Day with God Devotional.