After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. (Nehemiah 2:13) It is not in the rush and hurry of activity that a person gains the respect of those around him; it is what he does when […]

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)  Do you know that God honours order and organisation? Can you imagine what had previously transpired in Nehemiah’s mind in order for him to provide an immediate, on-the-spot answer? Nehemiah had a plan. You see, he had been doing more than praying […]

That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14) With Israel’s ancient monarch as our guide, we have journeyed the extremities of experience, and we […]

That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14) The thing I love about Solomon’s conclusion is there isn’t a ruffle of drums, a loud […]

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1) As we approach the finale of Solomon’s ragged-edge journey, we are finally introduced to the One who can give life meaning. At long last, Solomon […]

Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 11:7–8) A catechism in the Presbyterian Church begins with the question, […]

Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 11:7–8) It was a great moment in my adult life when […]

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one […]

Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips. (Proverbs 14:7) So much for analysis. It’s time for application. For the sake of space, I will limit my comments here to a major heartache—being married to a fool. Some people are living with a marriage partner who has turned out to be […]

Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. (Ecclesiastes 10:12–14) A close look at Solomon’s journal entry […]