Eccl 12:11 All truth is God's truth

The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. (Eccl 12:11)
~All truth is God's truth. Truth always sets free. Truth is consistent and coherent. Truth is not bound to any religion or culture, it is above all of them. Truth is one. It is like the sun that shines over all. The True Shepherd guides us into truth.

Ecclesiastes 12:7- The Spirit

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Eccl.12:7

All throughout the book, the preacher reminds us that everything is ephemeral, transitory, and vanishing like a vapor. However, towards the end of the book, at the point where he describes how the strong human gets weaker, ultimately falling to the ground, he mentions that there is one part of man that isn't a vapor after all: the spirit of man.

It is certainly foolish to ignore the spirit and focus all attention on things that are intrinsically vaporish and perishing. Jesus asked what would it profit if a man gained the whole world but lost his on soul. Nothing.

Therefore, we are reminded to remember our creator in the days of our youth.
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The Rewards of Risk-Taking (Eccl. 11:1-6)

"Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again." (Ecc 11:1)

One should not fear taking risks. All work of production calculates risks. Risk-taking is key to farming, business, banking. In the Parable of Talents, the boss commended the two workers who went and took risks to do business with the money they received, doubling it by the time their boss returned. However, he was very unhappy with the worker who went and hid the capital depriving the boss of even the interest from the use of it. He rebuked him saying that he should have given the money to bankers if he was afraid of taking risks, for bankers (risk-takers themselves) assure of a set interest amount. Risk-taking must be accompanied by good counsel, calculation, wisdom, and diligent hard-work that explores various avenues of investment. Risk-taking investments forgo the present disuse or use of something for sake of future returns. For instance, the farmer sows the grain instead of eating it or storing it for consumption in order to reap multiple production.

Instead of investing the whole capital in just one industry, it is better to divide it into various. "Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land." (Ecc 11:2)

It is also important to be diligent and willing to use spare time (available labor-time--not to scrape it from family and rest time) in any other industry. "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well."(Ecc 11:6)

Don't just wait for things to look very sure and certain. Move forward. Risk-takers move by faith, not by sight. "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap (Ecc.11:4)

Also, be prepared for crisis-times. And, do not forget that charity and helping the poor has assurance of returns and rewards from God (Prov.19:17). That reward is always assured and never lost.

#Business #Risk #Disaster #Industry #Success

Love God With All Your Strength (Mark 12:30)

"Love the LORD your God with all your ...strength." (Mk.12:30)

There is a reason why Solomon tells young people to remember God when they are still young (Ecc12:1); it's because youth is the time when one has great opportunities to love God truly with all one's strength. It's the time when one can choose to use his strength for the Master. To know God at an old age is fine; however, then strength is weak, the keepers tremble, and the grasshopper is a burden (Eccl.12:3-5). But, in the robust vigor of youth, one can truly speak of loving God with all one's strength. In his youth, David could talk of God as the one who trained his hands for war so that his arms could bend a bow of bronze and his feet could run against a troop and leap over a wall (Psa.144:1; 18:29,34). But, in his old age, he could not speak of being able in the same manner. David had the blessing of serving the Lord with all his strength in his youth.

There is no sadder sight than a young person giving up all hope saying, "I can't, I have no strength!" Some find repose in the teaching of a weak human nature. But, the Bible commands the young to be strong (2Tim.2:1), and positively says: "I have written to you, young men, because YOU ARE STRONG, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one" (1Jn.2:14).

Ecclesiastes 1:2,3: the Meaning of Vanity

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? (Eccl. 1:2,3).

The man who labors for his own profit has missed the mark of life's true meaning. He lives a life that is equal to that of a steam (Hb. "Hebel", vapor, vanity).

Vanity is nothing but man's attempt to pull himself up by pulling his bootstraps. Vanity means emptiness, ephemerality, transcience, and a useless striving which the Preacher rightly labels as "chasing after the wind". Only in self-giving love is true worth and meaning found, for worth and meaning lie outside of the self, in self-less sacrifice. Therefore, Jesus said, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." (Mat. 10:39). Only when a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, does it realize its true worth.