Revised Common Lectionary

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:26 Life is empty without You, Lord. You fill our lives with Your blessing. You give to us new life, abundant life, eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 10:10; 1 John 5:11-12). All of these blessings come to us through Jesus, Your Son. He brings us out of emptiness. He brings us into a life that has meaning, purpose an d direction. We thank You, Lord, for Jesus, our Saviour. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:16 We look, Lord, for happiness, but we cannot find it. Why do we keep missing happiness? We’re looking in the wrong place. We try to find happiness in ourselves. You’re saying to us, “You’ll only find happiness when you come to Jesus. Only Jesus can fill the God-shaped blank in your heart.” Teach us, Lord, to listen to Your voice, speaking to us of Jesus, calling us to come to Him and receive from Him Your gift of salvation. Help us to rejoice in Jesus, to be glad that He is our great Saviour.   Ecclesiastes 5:1-6:12 Lord, there’s something hollow at the he...

“I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14). God’s salvation - It’s a permanent salvation: it “will endure forever”; - It’s a complete salvation: “nothing can be added to it”; - It’s a secure salvation: “nothing” can be “taken from it”; - It’s a salvation which leads to worship: “so that men will revere Him.”

Life “under the sun” is depressing (Ecclesiastes 1:3,9,14). When life is seen in an earthbound way, with nothing above and beyond it, there is no hope, no glimmer of light. The preacher is not saying that this is the only way we can look at life. He is saying that this way of thinking about life is a dead-end street. He is inviting us to see the meaninglessness of a life that is no more than life “under the sun.” He shows us the hopelessness of life “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:17,20,22). We can never be satisfied by life “under the sun.” There is always a sense of something more. This dissatisfaction, this longing for something more, comes from God: “He has put a sense of eternity in people’s minds” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Life “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 4:1,3) offers nothing to those who are searching for a real sense of meaning, purpose and direction.There is an emptiness at the heart of life “under the sun.” Attempting to find something more, through our own effor...

Day 213 1 Chronicles 11:1-12:22 ;  Romans 14:19-15:13 ;  Psalm 89:46-52 1 Chronicles 11 speaks of “David’s mighty men” ( 1 Chronicles 11:11 ). The focus is not, however, on either David or the “mighty men.” It is on the Lord - “The Lord brought about a great victory” ( 1 Chronicles 11:14 ). In their warfare, “the Spirit” brings this message - “... your God will help you” ( 1 Chronicles 12:18 ). What are we to say about these things from the Old Testament Scriptures? They were “written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” ( Romans 15:4 ). As we consider what God has done in the past - His “former great love”, we are encouraged to believe in His “faithfulness”, and we say, from our hearts, “Praise be to the Lord for ever! Amen and Amen” ( Psalm 89:52 ). Day 214 1 Chronicles 12:23-14:17 ;  Romans 15:14-33 ;  Psalm 90:1-10 God’s purpose concerns all the nations - “The Lord made all the nations fear...

January 1: when observed as New Year’s Day – Ecclesiastes 3:1-13; Psalm 8; Revelation 21:1-6a; Matthew 25: 31-46 Let’s begin the year with worship: “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your Name …” (Psalm 8:1). How excellent is our Saviour – He takes away the emptiness of life without Him. ‘God has put eternity into man’s mind’ (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In every human heart, there is a God-shaped blank. It can only be filled by Jesus Christ. Many people try to find true happiness without opening their heart to Jesus Christ. That’s like ‘trying to catch the wind’ (Ecclesiastes 4:16). True happiness keeps slipping through your fingers. There’s always something missing - ‘an aching void the world can never fill’ (Church Hymnary, 663). Jesus Christ stands at the door of every human heart. He knocks. He waits for your answer. He says, ‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in...’ (Revelation 3:20). Will you invite Hi...