“Do Not Let Your Hands Be Idle”

Meditation on Ecclesiastes 11:1-6   

Nov. 10, 2013

***

“Send out your bread upon the waters,
   for after many days you will get it back.
Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,
   for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.
When clouds are full, they empty rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
   in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
Whoever observes the wind will not sow;
   and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.

      Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

***

    A friend passed onto me the November issue of Guideposts magazine this week. I hadn’t seen Guideposts in a long time, but I used to read every inspiring issue, cover to cover, years ago.

     Turning to the editor’s note at the front, I was reminded what I liked best about reading the magazine—the personal stories, submitted by ordinary people, like you and me.  Edward Grinnan, now editor in chief, writes about the very first devotional he wrote for the annual edition of Daily Guideposts.  He didn’t want to write it! He didn’t feel confident writing about his faith. He said he wasn’t “that kind of a writer.”

     But his editor at the time kept bugging him to do it, saying that he didn’t have to write about his faith.  He just had to write about his life.

     “Just write about something that happened to you yesterday,” he said, “no matter how small and seemingly inconsequential.  I bet you’ll find a spiritual lesson in it.”

     So Edward wrote about a ridiculous argument he had with his wife over a guacamole recipe and how they resolved their differences.  The story really wasn’t about guacamole; it was about being newlyweds and learning God’s grace.

     Edward was hoping that his editor would read it and come to agree with him that he wasn’t suited for writing devotionals. To his dismay, his editor loved it!  And told him to write another one.

      Edward has written hundreds of devotionals in the last 20 years.  He always follows his editor’s advice—to write about something that happened to him, a personal story, however small.  “In nearly every case,” he says, “I discover how God reaches into the most ordinary moments of my life and turns them into quiet examples of his love and care, his everyday grace.”

      I felt a strong connection with Edward’s story—about God reaching out to us with his love and care in the ordinary moments of our lives.  Those simple “aha!” moments we suddenly experience when we go about what we think are just routine activities. If our hearts and minds are open to hearing His voice and seeing His reconciling work in the world, what may seem on the surface to be an ordinary encounter or conversation with a stranger, friend or family member will have a deeper meaning to us.  These encounters and conversations will teach us what the Lord wants us to know, lead us to do God’s will, and help us build His Kingdom.

    Being a faithful Christian doesn’t mean that all of us should become full-time evangelists like Billy Graham or missionaries in a foreign country.  God has given each one of us different gifts and abilities to use for ministry—right here and now. Right where we are! Being faithful to His call means that we intentionally listen for His voice each day and seek to obey.  The faithful are able to sense His guiding hand, comforting presence, and empowering Spirit while we are engaged in the daily, even routine activities and responsibilities of our lives.

***

     The writer of Ecclesiastes, one of the Old Testament Wisdom books, understands this. That the hand of God can be seen and His wisdom may be gleaned while we are engaged in our every day activities, struggles, pleasures, and pursuits. This ancient author is “The Preacher”—Qohelet in Hebrew.  

    Qohelet seeks to find meaning in a world where so much is unfair, absurd, and doesn’t make sense. “The righteous should be rewarded, the wicked punished; the one who toils should get to enjoy the full fruits of his work; the wise should have a life that is better than the fool’s” (Michael Fox, xxx). But the righteous suffer. The wicked prosper. And the one who works hard, makes sacrifices, and puts off pleasurable pursuits doesn’t always get to enjoy the full fruits of his or her work. Yet, with the wisdom and trust that are God’s gifts to him, Qohelet sees God’s hand in his life and “maintains a faith in (His) rule and fundamental justness.” 

       Qohelet often repeats the phrase, “Havel havalim.” This is literally “vapor of vapors” but may be understood as utter vanity, futility, senseless, absurd.  Many things in this world are, to Qohelet, havel havalim. A chasing after the wind.

       Qohelet speaks of his own pursuit of riches and the accumulation of great wealth. In chapter 2, he describes how he worked hard building houses and planting vineyards and fruit trees for himself, making gardens and parks, and amassing great flocks and herds.  At first, his heart finds pleasure in all his toil—and all the wealth and possessions that are his reward. The key idea is that he works hard for himself.

       But then he considers all that his hands have done and the toil he has spent doing it, and he comes to realize that it was all havel havalim— utter futility, senseless, absurd.  “A chasing after the wind and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

      He begins to hate his toil, seeing that he will have to leave his land and possessions to those who come after him, and who knows if they will be wise or foolish?  And for what do human beings really benefit for all their toil?  “All their days are full of pain and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest,” he says.   He falls into despair.

         But then, through his faith he has an “aha!” moment. He realizes that his selfish motivation has been the problem.  He sees the hand of God in his life and begins to acknowledge the Lord, who cares for him and gives good gifts to those who seek to serve and please Him. “Apart from God,” Qohelet asks, “who can eat or have enjoyment in their toil? For to the one who pleases the Lord, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy.”

      We read today’s passage, the first 6 verses of chapter 11, in the context of Qohelet’s “aha!” moment of faith—how he has learned that loving and finding motivation for work because of the material rewards is utter futility, senseless, absurd.  A chasing after the wind.

      The call to be a hardworking farmer is the ancient Preacher’s way of calling God’s people to diligent service to the Lord, the One who makes everything, and “whose work we do not know.” Jesus uses a similar agricultural metaphor for reaching the lost and laboring for His Kingdom when he tells his disciples in Matthew 9:37 and Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

      Qohelet’s “Send out your bread upon the waters…” refers to an ancient agricultural practice of planting seeds in flooded fields.  When the water receded, the rich soil underneath produced abundant crops.  Thus, “after many days, you will get it back,” is a promise of reaping a good harvest—God’s harvest, in His time.  But just standing around, looking at the clouds or considering a tree that has fallen in the forest is a waste of precious time, when you can be actively working for Him!

      “In the morning, sow your seed,” says Qoheleth, “and at evening, do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

***

      

       This afternoon at 3:30 will be the first practice for our Christmas hand bell choir.  I have been planning and preparing for this group for weeks. It may seem like such an ordinary activity, even routine for a church.  Get a few kids and adults together, give them some bells, and teach them to play some hymns for worship.

       But with my faith, what may seem to others like such an ordinary or routine church activity is really something extraordinary to me.  I believe that God is doing His Kingdom work whenever the faithful gather to give Him praise. With every new group of hand bell ringers, new relationships blossom and old relationships deepen and grow.  While we are learning musical concepts and how to play bells, we are also learning about God’s love for us, and how to love Him and one another.  We are learning patience. We are learning grace.

     We didn’t have advance registration, so I don’t know for sure who will come and join our Joyful Jinglers. I trust the Lord will bring the right people together as we learn to play songs that celebrate our Savior’s birth. Lord willing, we will play during worship here on Dec. 15 and for the nursing home worship service on Dec. 29.

    I do know for sure that those who come to serve and honor Him will be blessed! “For to the one who pleases the Lord,” assures the ancient Preacher, Qohelet, “He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy.”

    None of our hands will be idle as we work to build His kingdom. 

    With every ring of a bell.  Every song of praise.  And every relationship that blossoms, deepens and grows.

Let us pray.

Holy One, we thank you for your word to us today and for the assurance that you are always with us and will speak to us through the every day moments of our lives.  Open our hearts and minds and help us to stop and listen for your voice.  Give us courage to obey and to seek to please you with all that we do.  Stir us to share your grace and the gospel through our seemingly ordinary encounters and conversations with strangers, friends, and family. We surrender ourselves and our lives to you and ask that you will continue to use each of us for your Kingdom building purposes—right here, right now, right where we are! And we pray for our Christmas bell choir, Lord—that the children and adults will come! That relationships will blossom, deepen, and grow. And that we will be pleasing to you with our joyful songs of praise! In Christ we pray.  Amen.