Ecclesiastes 11:9 – Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
THEME OF THE DAY. BE CAREFUL. BE VERY CAREFUL. Today’s scripture is the beginning of the end of King Solomon’s memoirs, the book of Ecclesiastes. If a person wants a good dose of reality or needs to be reeled in from thinking the world around us is reality, then find a secluded place and read Ecclesiastes. It is a like a cold wash cloth to the face in the morning. It powerfully reminds us what life is all about if it is not lived centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. And it applies to all people. Whether an unbeliever or a backslidden believer, if Christ isn’t the center of life, then life will prove over and over to be full of vanity, disappointment, emptiness, and quickly come to an end.
As Solomon brings his book to a close, he is saying some very important things to us. And today’s scripture is not just for young people, but for all people. It is a serious warning to be careful, be very careful on what drives the direction of our lives. We may paraphrase Solomon’s words like this, “Okay people. Go ahead and let your heart be the guide of your life. Let it determine how you spend your time, your money, and your talents from God. And by the way, whatever thing or person your eyes set upon with a longing desire to have, go for it but remember this, there is a day of reckoning coming. A day will come where every decision, every glance, every desire, and every act you let your hearts and eyes partake of will be judged by God.” Now such a statement is not to make us recoil in slavish fear, but to make us wise or careful on how we live our lives.
The truth of the Bible is that all people are going to be judged. Yes, even Christians. I know there are Christians who attempt to dismiss this, and actually get a little combative when it is discussed. This is unwise and lacks Biblical understanding. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). But don’t be afraid of the Day of Judgment. Our Judge is the Lord Jesus who is also our Savior. There will not be a single sin judged in the Christian on the Day of Judgment. This is not a punitive judgment, but a day of accountability concerning the stewardship of a believer’s life where rewards or loss of rewards will be determined (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). And such an awareness doesn’t make us live as though “walking on eggshells”. Just the opposite. The great God of the universe who has made us His children stands ready to reward His children for living their lives, not according to their heart’s desire but His heart’s desire. What a motivator to love Him, deny oneself, and refuse to live by feelings and our sinful heart wanderings. But it isn’t the rewards themselves. It is the pleasure of the Rewarder. What is the most important thing to live for in all areas of our lives? One thing and that one thing is to come face-to-face with the Lord Jesus and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:21). And such an encounter will happen if we are careful, very careful, not to live our lives according to the dictates of our heart and feelings, but by the clear direction from His Word and godly counsel.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to never follow or trust my heart. It will only lead me astray.”
QUOTE: “We must fight to trust the Lord and His Word, not our heart and our feelings”