Without God - Part 20: In the Matter of Vows

 

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it…”

—Ecclesiastes 5:4a

Have you ever met someone who gave testimony regarding a vow they made to God? During my years at Houghton College [now Houghton University] in the mid-1960s, one of the professors gave his testimony in the daily chapel service:

The professor told how he was under fire during World War II. Around him, several of his fellow soldiers had already died from bullet wounds. He had never had much to do with God. But, in that tragic moment, when death seemed so near, he cried out to God and asked God to please save him. He promised that if God would save him, he would serve God for the rest of his life. God responded by protecting this man. And, true to his word, he spent the remainder of his life serving God.

While it may not be very wise to try to bargain with God, King Solomon would be very pleased with this professor. Please notice what Solomon wrote, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 5:4-7:

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

Making a vow is a very serious business. It is something that we should most always refrain from doing causally and certainly never take lightly. But, if an occasion prompts us to make such a vow, we should heed Solomon’s words and determine to fulfill the vow we have made. Keeping our word is important, not only with God, but with each other. Don’t say that you will do something, when you do not really intend to do it. And, don’t allow excuses to interfere with a vow that you have made.

In our walk with God through His Son, Jesus, we do well to speak truthfully about everything, including the truth implied in a vow we might make. Let’s become people whose “yes” always means “yes” (Matthew 5:33-37).

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 19: Guard Your Steps

 

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.”

—Ecclesiastes 5:1

King Solomon, having laid out a rather dismal picture of what life would be without God—that is to say, utterly meaningless, a vapor, a wind, an exercise in futility—pauses for just a brief interlude in order to turn his thoughts to how a person must relate to God. Please notice what Solomon writes, as found in Ecclesiastes 5:1-3:

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.

A relationship with God is not something with which to trifle. Solomon warns against approaching God in a cavalier and foolhardy manner. Yes, God has a sense of humor. He loves to laugh. But, He is not silly. He is not to be treated as some old fool.

Rather, we must always remember that we have this relationship because God reached out to us, chose us to belong to Himself, and made provision for the forgiveness of our sins at great sacrifice to Himself and His Son, Jesus. It is appropriate that we approach God in humility and reverence, never forgetting that He is a God of great power, the Creator of all things, the Ruler over all, and the One who has proven His love for us at such a great price to Himself.

As we begin a new day, let’s enjoy those times when God wraps His loving arms around us. But, let’s also remember who He is. Let’s revere Him for His holiness, His power, and also for His great love, which He has so freely poured out on us, as His dearly loved children.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 18: What Comes Next?

 

“Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.”

—Ecclesiastes 4:13

Throughout the early chapters of King Solomon’s discourse on life without God, a reader can sense the king’s exasperation with what seems the normative culture of his time. This is no less true with what Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 4:13-16:

Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Solomon laments and expresses concern over the leader that will follow him. And, his concern ultimately proves well-founded. An outsider of the Tribe of Ephraim, Jeroboam, will lead a revolt against Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. This revolt will divide the Kingdom into the Northern Kingdom of Israel with Jeroboam as king and the Southern Kingdom of Judah with Rehoboam as king.

Over time, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which consisted of ten of the original tribes, will fall further into sin and ultimately be carried off into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 BC. In contrast, remaining somewhat more faithful to God, the Southern Kingdom of Judah, which consisted of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, would eventually be carried off into captivity by the Babylonians in 588 BC, approximately 134 years later.

We should be able to imagine King Solomon’s grief, as he senses the turmoil that lies ahead. As Solomon has stated before in this Book of Ecclesiastes, he declares again, in this passage of Scripture, that seeking after power, authority, and advancement is meaningless—a chasing after the wind. That is, of course, when one seeks power, authority, and advancement apart from God.

As we begin a new day, in which God gives us the opportunity to serve as His ambassadors to a troubled and needy world, let’s remember that the only power and advancement that matters are those that come from God. If we are to move upward in an organization, it is God who must advance us. Apart from His provision for us, every other scheme to “get ahead” will fall prey to our poor efforts to “chase after the wind.”

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 17: Joined As Three

 

“A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

—Ecclesiastes 4:12b

As he looks back over his life, King Solomon continues to examine what life would be “under the sun” without the influence of, and a relationship with, God. Solomon spends a great deal of time reflecting on the way a person spends time. Thus, he places a strong focus on work, toil, or labor. Please notice what Solomon writes, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 4:7-12:

Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless—a miserable business!

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Solomon acknowledges the truth of what God Himself stated in Genesis 2:18:

“It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Humans need one another. That’s the way God created us. Because humans are made in God’s image—the Imago Dei—we need fellowship. We see this clearly in the Trinity—God the Three in One—where an interdependent relationship exists between the Son and the Holy Spirit and wherein both the Son and the Holy Spirit have an interdependent relationship with the Father. While our poor human brains cannot truly comprehend the mystery and majesty of the Trinity, we catch a glimpse of the nature of God as One who desires and depends upon relationships. In fact, as we are taught in the first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

WSC Q. 1: What is the chief end of man?

A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

So, God desires a relationship with humans. But, in our sin, we are unworthy to stand in His Presence. As a result, God chooses to cleanse us from our sins through the blood of His Son, Jesus, in order that we may become holy and have a ever-deepening fellowship/relationship with Him.

Likewise, humans need relationships with each other, in order to complete the work that God has given us in this world. As ambassadors of the Great King, Jesus, we need each other, so we can let our light shine before other humans that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

But, Please notice the last phrase of this passage of Scripture penned by King Solomon and recorded in Ecclesiastes 4:12b:

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

All through the previous verses, Solomon has been writing about two humans partnering together. So, from where does this third strand come? Why it comes from each of these two humans having a personal relationship with God.

In the midst of trying to describe life without God, Solomon finds himself drawn to the reality that genuine life cannot exist apart from a human having God in his or her life. That relationship between Creator and creature is critically important. And, more so, by the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we humans who experience these events personally become transformed from “creatures” to “children”—children of God (John 1:12).

As another new day begins, we can bow in a prayer of thanksgiving that God has called us to Himself as His dearly loved children. We share in His inheritance. We can move forward in this world knowing that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 16: In Your Toil, Relax!

 

“… Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil …”

—Ecclesiastes 4:6a

A Sabbath Day of Rest, or the most common expression of this concept, has almost totally disappeared in our current society. I’ve remarked before that in my childhood of the 1950s the only store open on Sunday in my hometown of 18,000 people was a small cigar store in the downtown business district. This store also sold newspapers from around the country, which helped explain why it was open on Sunday.

I’m not kidding! All grocery stores were closed. All drug stores were closed—although they had emergency phone numbers posted in case you needed to reach the pharmacist. Almost all gasoline service stations were closed. The “Five and Dimes” and hardware stores were closed. Many restaurants were closed. Only a few of the seedier bars were open.

It was Sunday. It was supposed to be a day of rest. And, people took that concept seriously. In the summer, they might take a picnic lunch to the nearby state park. Afternoon drives in the countryside were common—gasoline cost only 18 cents per gallon! Extended family got together for Sunday dinner. Friends visited at each other’s houses. Almost everyone went to church.

My Jewish friends used to laugh and say: “We have a double Shabbat: Our regular one on Friday evening through Saturday evening, and the Christian one on Sunday! We get two days off instead of just one! Even we Fundamentalist Christians couldn’t stray too far from home on Sunday, because we had both Sunday morning and Sunday evening services. The concept of Sabbath Rest was very real. And, I truly believe it made for a better society.

The profound idea of Sabbath Rest, as a commandment from God, touched King Solomon, as well. After writing about the futility of labor, he makes this observation, found in Ecclesiastes 4:5-6:

Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

He’s saying:

“Yes, it’s important that we labor. We can’t just sit around like fools. But, from time to time a person needs to grab a handful of tranquity to balance out the futility of labor.”

How about you and me? Do we really grasp the importance of Sabbath Rest. Do we so overextend ourselves that Sunday becomes just another day? Oh, we may attend church on Sunday morning. But, the rest of the day is treated just like any other. We fill it with every imaginable activity conducted at a frantic pace.

While we cannot return to the tranquil days of the 1950s, maybe we need to rethink what we do on the Sabbath. Maybe we need to tap into the amused observation of my dear Jewish friends from more than half a century ago and take advantage of a genuine Shabbat.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 15: The Motivator for Work

 

“And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another.”

—Ecclesiastes 4:4

This is the fifteenth blog post based on the Book of Ecclesiastes. So far, King Solomon, reflecting on what he has learned in his old age, has shared how futile life is without God. He uses the phrase “under heaven” to denote a state where earthly humans are unaware of, and offer no worship for, or commitment to, God. In today’s verses, Solomon reflects on what motivates those who have no relationship with God, as found in Ecclesiastes 4:4-6:

And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

Without the meaning that God provides in one’s life, everything is meaningless, futile, vanity. This should not surprise us. As believers, we can look around at a world filled with every kind of evil. And, evil is insidious. It affects every aspect of our lives. We see it in our businesses, in our homes, in our politics, in our friendships, in every part of our lives. Where evil thrives, discord, dissent, discouragement, disenchantment, disturbance, and every other negative quality simply overrules every good intention.

But, with God—with a personal and a corporate relationship to Him—life takes on meaning, value, and worth. There is plenty to celebrate, enjoy, and profit from, when God is the One who leads us along the pathway He has opened up before us.

At the beginning of this new day, let’s take time to pause in the busyness of our day and reflect on the impact our relationship with God has on our lives. Then, let’s prayerfully thank Him for His goodness—expressed to us in the many blessings He pours into our lives.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 14: The Result of Oppression

 

“I saw the tears of the oppressed—and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors—and they have no comforter.”

—Ecclesiastes 4:1b

If you were king of a great nation, what changes would you make to society? I can hear your answers echoing in my mind: “Banish all oppression, bring peace to the nation, end poverty, bring harmony among the races, end political discord, make certain all people had enough to eat and a roof over their heads, devote all possible resources to end the dread diseases that afflict so many people …” and your list would go on and on and on.

The most natural thing in the world is to expect that, if we had the absolute power over our nation, we would change society profoundly. But, I wonder if we would be able to do so.

In his time, King Solomon had absolute authority over the kingdom of God’s chosen people. He has vast riches and enormous resources. Yet, at the end of his life, please notice the words he writes, as found in Ecclesiastes 4:1-3:

Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

Wait a minute! Why didn’t King Solomon fix the things that were broken in his world? The truth is he genuinely tried to do so. But, Solomon learned that sin has such power even his kingly authority could not turn the tide toward righteousness, equality, fairness, and justice. Solomon’s statement above is a cry of despair, and a confession of his failure.

You see, only God can bring about revival—the coming to life again, to return to a normality where all things are in balance. Only God can cause people dead in their trespasses and sins to live again. Only the mercy, grace, and love of God, expressed through His Son, Jesus, can bring about the kind of changes that must occur to put society on the right pathway.

John Stott, in his article appearing in the October, 2011, issue of Christianity Today magazine, suggests there are four ways that Christians can influence society: ¹

• The Power of Prayer
  
  
• The Power of Truth
  
  
• The Power of Example, and
  
  
• The Power of Group Solidarity
  
  

As we begin a new day, we do not need to fall into despair because of the vagaries of our society. Rather, we can determine to exercise the four powers that Stott has outlined. If we do so, we will begin to see how the power of Christ, in and through us, can change our world.

 

______________________

1 Stott, John. “Four Ways Christians Can Influence the World.” Christianity Today. Carol Stream, IL: Christinity Today Publishing Company, 2011. This referenced article first appeared on ChristianityToday.com on October, 2011. Used by permission of Christianity Today, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be copied, printed, or used in any fashion without specific permission of Christianity Today. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 13: Enjoying Our Work

 

“So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?”

—Ecclesiastes 3:22

“Work is supposed to be hard,” my dad remarked when I complained that wiring boats was difficult and that I itched all over. As usual, he was right!

When I turned twelve years old, my dad asked me if I thought I would want to go to college. While I knew that no one in the entirety of my extended family had ever attended college, I responded in the affirmative. He then said, “Well, you’d better get a job. Your mom and I will not be able to afford to pay for your college education.” I did not realize that he was teasing me. So, I promptly went out and began to search for work.

Fortunately, though my hometown was landlocked, there was a boat store a few blocks from my home that bought fiberglass shells and turned them into custom watercraft for use on inland lakes located forty or fifty miles away. The owner had started this somewhat unlikely business because he knew that, within five or six years, a huge flood control project on the Allegheny River would create a very large recreational lake located just a relatively few miles away.

After asking me some questions, the boat store owner hired me to install the electrical wiring for the boats he was outfitting. I was already six feet tall and could easily reach into the space under the front of the boat where much of the electrical equipment was housed. The downside for me was that the fiberglass of the hull made me itch all over. Nevertheless, after each school day and on Saturdays, I worked at that boat store for about a year, learned a lot, and began to save all the money that I made. I also went through many bars of Lava soap, getting those glass fibers off my skin at the end of each work day.

“Work is supposed to be hard.” That was the mantra of my father, who had become an adult just a few years before the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing depression that had gripped our nation. He knew what it was to work hard for very little wages. In fact, at no time, in the 74 years of his life, did he ever make more than $5,000 a year.

In his declaration of futility, when a life is lived without a connection to God, King Solomon asserts in Ecclesiastes 3:22:

So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

The answer to Solomon’s question, which is why he wrote this somewhat disturbing Book of the Bible to begin with, comes from his understanding that the only power that can dispel futility in someone’s life is the relationship that person has with God.

How fortunate we are that, because of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have such a relationship. God is the one who can bring us to see what will happen after us. He is the One who instills joy into our labor. He is the One who can give us rejoicing hearts, even as we work hard. Yes, God can give us joy in our labor. He can prompt us to sing while we work. He can give us relief from toil by making our hearts rejoice in Him.

Let’s begin another day by praising God that He is a “Burden Lifter.” He is One who can make even the hardest work tolerable. He can bless our labor and make our hard work have purpose and meaning beyond the mere task at hand. He is the One who can help us see how our hard labor can bring great benefit to us and to others.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 12: Are We Really Like the Animals?

 

“Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

—Ecclesiastes 3:21

I confess that I am not an “animal person.” I do have great respect for people who love animals. I see the joy that these folks derive from the relationship they have with their pets.

When I was six-years-old, I was attacked by a rabid dog and had to undergo the rather painful rabies shots into my stomach. This created in me a fear of animals in general and of dogs in particular.

Yet, over the years, I have come to appreciate the way that many people respond to their dogs. Recently, I even had a very positive experience with a dog at the home of one of my friends. This rather large dog seemed to sense that inside I was a “teddy bear.” He came up beside me and leaned against me as if to say, “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. You and I are both just big guys.”

Many people seem to believe that we humans are no different, and certainly no better, than animals. I believe that a very careful reading of Genesis 1 and 2 should put that idea to rest. But, I’m certainly not going to argue with people who feel such a kinship to animals.

In the ruminations of his old age, King Solomon asked some questions that he intended to answer later in his writings. But, these questions resonate with the question that I have asked in the title of this blog post: “Are we really like the animals?” Please notice what Solomon wrote, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 3:18-21:

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

In a later blog post, we will see how Solomon answers this last question. For now, let me give you a bit of a spoiler: “Yes, we can know if the human spirit rises upward and the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth.” How?

In their natural state, animals respond to their genetic programming. They act as they do because God created them to act in that way. Humans, on the other hand, have the ability to make choices in a thoughtful and reasoned way that does not exist in animals. Part of the choice humans made was a choice to disobey the one instruction that God gave first man and first woman: “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:17)

The redemptive act of Jesus was God’s gift to His human creations. Why? Because only humans needed redemption. If this is true, why did Solomon ask the question? He did so in order to be able to examine whether life on this earth was futile apart from a relationship with God.

As we begin a new day, let’s examine our own lives. Do we truly have relevance apart from our relationship with God through His Son, Jesus? The answer to that question is a good barometer of our spiritual condition, and one that we should take quite seriously.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 11: The Forgotten God

 

I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”

—Ecclesiastes 3:17

I’ve mentioned recently in a post on this blog that I have a number of dearly loved Christian friends across a fairly wide spectrum of the Christian church—from Fundamentalism, to Evangelicalism, to Liberal Mainline-ism, to Roman Catholic, to Eastern Orthodox, to those who have had a more traditional faith from their childhood, but who no longer attend church services regularly. In an increasingly growing number of these dear ones, they have begun to strongly emphasize a different interpretation of Scripture than the one that I believe is absolutely foundational to holding to solid Christian orthodoxy.

That last statement in itself would cause these dear ones to rise up with shouts that I am a prisoner of my own presuppositions. If that is the case, then I gladly and wholeheartedly embrace those presuppositions. These dear ones might also accuse me of clinging to outdated and obtuse positions regarding a whole host of theological “absolutes” because I am afraid of losing either my employment or my hard-fought position within my particular circle of Christian associates.

I confess that such charges make me smile. After all, my livelihood has not now, nor never has, depended on my theological beliefs. Furthermore, in my old age I am so isolated from anything resembling a “circle of Christian associates” that I am hardly afraid of losing something that I do not now have, nor ever have had.

Instead, I am saddened that what I observe in my dear friends is a seeking after a new god who is profoundly different from the God that I see throughout the totality of Scripture. Of course, I believe that God has chosen to reveal Himself to us—in the words of the Apostle Paul from 1 Corinthians 13:12—as through a darkened mirror. God allows us to see Him in as much detail as He feels we can handle. But, as finite, sinful humans, we simply do not have the capacity to see the fullness of God and never will be able to do so until we see Him in heaven. There, we will see Him in all His glory and we will all do the only thing we can do when we stand in His Presence: we will fall to our knees before Him and worship Him.

This new god that my dear friends have posited has arisen from very disappointing experiences in their lives, when God, as they had previously imagined Him, did not respond as they felt He should. Some tragedy has befallen them. They expected God to act in a certain way, and He failed to follow their expectations.

Now, I know that it is easy to sit on the sidelines of other people’s lives and “tsk-tsk” their failure to understand that no one can put God in a box. But, again, Scripture makes it plain that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:8). Why in the world would we ever think that we could predict how God might act in any situation?

And, lest these dear ones accuse me of not being able to understand what they’ve been through, I am quick to acknowledge that this is so. I have not walked in their shoes. I have not had the same kind of trials that they have experienced. But, I have had my own trials and tribulations in life, and those trials have been enormously painful for me! Please let me explain:

When I first experienced a diabetic foot infection that became systemic and eventually caused me to have a partial amputation of my right foot in 1998, the spiritual leaders of my church prayed over me, anointed me with oil, and fervently asked God to totally heal me. But, He did not heal me and never has—at least not in the way that I imagined. I continued to suffer from a chronic osteomyelitis of the right foot. That chronic infection flared up from time to time, as it did in November of 2016. I began yet another regimen of powerful antibiotics. Month after month the infection continued to rage. I could no longer drive. I had to walk with a surgical boot. Would this torture never end?

In fact, I had a continual series of issues with my right foot that plagued me for 19 years until, in November of 2017, I had my right leg amputated below the knee. Am I angry with God that He did not completely heal me and did not allow me to keep my right leg? No, I am not. Am I disappointed that He did not act in the way that I might have hoped that He would act? No, I am not. While I am disappointed that I did not receive healing in exactly the way I hoped or prayed, I am not disappointed in God. Who am I to question Him? Who am I to dispute the plan that He has made for me. Why would I, when He does not meet my imagined expectations, discard my view of Him and seek some other god that would fit my preconceived notion of who God should be and how God should act?

The simple truth is that God did, indeed, heal me. After all other medical interventions failed—and I had some of the best doctors, nurses, and technicians working in my behalf for all of those 19 years—God healed me from the chronic infection of my right foot by having an amazingly skillful surgeon amputate my right leg, just in the nick of time. You see, gangrene had begun to form and spread upward from my foot, into my ankle, and without the amputation, the gangrene likely would have taken my life.

So, when my dear friends now speak of a god who is not one of judgment, but only one of love—a god for whom the gift of mercy and grace toward those he has created is no longer necessary—I say to them:

“Dear friends, you are setting aside the whole counsel of God. The Bible clearly teaches that first and foremost God is a Holy God. Because He is a Holy God, He is a God of Judgment. He cannot tolerate sin. That’s why He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die in our place. His anger had to be propitiated. His judgment satisfied. Our redemption was obtained by the only possible suitable sacrifice.

Teaching that God is One who only loves and accepts everyone is a distortion of the truth clearly shown in God’s written Word. Yes, God is absolutely a God of Love. In fact, without God real love cannot and does not exist. He alone is Love. His very provision of a means to satisfy His own judgment is, in itself, an act of supreme love.

But, God also is Holy. He wants those He loves to worship Him alone, to love Him back, to obediently follow His precepts. He wants those who love Him to embrace holiness, through the enabling power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:1-2, and 1 Peter 1:14-16).

I understand that it is difficult to hold these two great truths in tension. To say that God is Holy and will judge sinners, while at the very same time declaring that God is Love, seems so very difficult. But, I submit to you that a real part of the absolute glory of the Christian faith is that these two truths about God must co-exist in the very tension that makes faith both necessary and possible.

To abandon the God of Judgment, and only embrace the God of Love, leaves us with a lopsided religion. It is every bit as much in error as my dear Fundamentalist friends who place a strong emphasis on outward behaviors, instead of focusing principally on an inward life-change. I also submit that only through surrender to the Holy Spirit’s patient guidance can we ever even hope to begin to experience wholeness in our lives—wholeness spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and physically.

And this brings me to today’s passage from the pen of King Solomon. Please notice what he writes in Ecclesiastes 3:17:

I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”

If you have stayed with me so far in this rather lengthy blog post, let me ask a favor of you. Will you please pray with me for all those who once knew what I have described above as truth, but have now abandoned this sure foundation to run after another god? Pray that God will open their eyes to the error that has crept into their minds and hearts. Pray that they will accept the truth of God’s actions in their behalf.

My heart is broken that these dear ones have left the faith they once knew. While they believe they have seen a new and brighter light, I fear that what they see is a distortion created by the enemy, Satan, to bring about their own downfall, insofar as having a positive influence for the sake of the Kingdom of God here on earth. I thank you for considering my request.

And, let’s pray for each other, too. We need help in holding the truth of who God is in proper tension. We need help in recognizing He is both a God of Judgment and a God of Love.

And, of course, we must fully recognize that we dare not become agents of judgment ourselves, whenever we recognize that God is a God of Judgment. For judgment only belongs to Him. He has not given us a mandate of judgment. Rather, He has given us a mandate of love.

So, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to use us as instruments of God’s mercy, grace, and love. And, lest we become tempted to judge others, let’s remember that we too will one day stand before God, as Solomon has said. Yes, for those of us who follow Christ, our judgment will be one of an evaluation of how obedient we were to His perfect will, and to both His Living Word and to His written Word. And, that’s quite enough judgment for which any of us should be concerned.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 10: Time to Pay the Piper

 

“Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.”

—Ecclesiastes 3:15

In every situation of life, there comes a time when we must give an account of what we’ve done. We may do something over and over for a long time. But, eventually, if that “something” has caused harm to someone or is constituted of an action that is morally or spiritually wrong, then the price of doing that “something” will sooner or later come due. Please permit me to illustrate my point:

You no doubt know the story of the Pied Piper. The city was overwhelmed by rats. The leaders were beside themselves. No matter what they did, they couldn’t get rid of the rats. A piper came along who offered to rid the city of the rats for a specific price. The leaders readily agreed to pay that price. The piper proceeded to pipe his magical and enticing tune. And, sure enough, the rats gathered behind him. He marched them to the water’s edge, where they entered the water and promptly drowned.

Now, if the story ended there it would be a wonderful tale of triumph over evil. But, the leaders refused to pay the piper. And so, the piper began to pipe an even more magical melody.

Soon, all the children of the city gathered behind the piper. He led them to the water’s edge where they, too, entered the water and promptly drowned.

“How horrible!” you may say. “How awful! What a despicable man that piper was!” But, you have misplaced your disgust. You should direct your horror at the leaders of the city who failed to pay the piper after agreeing to his price.

Life’s like that parable. Sin has a price attached to it. We may enjoy the pleasure of that sin for a season. But, eventually, we will have to pay the price for such a sin.

In this life on earth, we often have to pay the temporal price for sin. In other words, the harm that sin causes others and ourselves extracts a price in the here and now. Fortunately, the ultimate eternal price for our sins has already been paid by Jesus’ life on earth, by His suffering and death on the cross, by His resurrection from the grave, and by His ascension to heaven.

We sometimes think that, no matter what we have done, we have gotten away with it. But, sin always extracts a price. We should bow to the ground in thankfulness that the only price we have to pay is the temporal one. Because of Jesus, the eternal price for our sin has been paid. King Solomon wrote of this reality, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 3:15:

Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.

One of the reasons that the Holy Spirit leads those of us who believe toward holiness is so that, by becoming what God wants us to be, we will avoid sinning as much as possible. Yes, we most certainly do remain stained by the sin curse of Adam until we pass from this life to the next. So, we will always have the pull of sin on our lives. But, the more we yield our lives to God, the less we will desire to sin. It’s a long process, what the late author Eugene H. Peterson has called “a long obedience in the same direction.” ¹ But, it is a road worth traveling.

As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is our guide and our companion. He will help us learn about how to move toward holiness. And that, dear ones, is what the walk of sanctification is all about.

 

______________________

1 Peterson, Eugene H. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Madison, WI: InterVarsity Press, 2024. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 9: Enduring Forever

 

“I know that everything God does will endure forever…”

—Ecclesiastes 3:14a

When you buy an ice cream cone, do you ever wish that it would last longer than it does? What if that ice cream cone would last forever? It would never get warm and melt. The same amount of ice cream would be waiting for you whenever you decided to lick the cone. Even if you took a spoon and scooped out a significant quantity of ice cream, you would find that the amount of ice cream in the cone would not diminish. For one thing, you would want to choose your flavor carefully because, after all, it’s going to last forever. You would want to choose the type of cone carefully, too—waffle cone or sugar cone—because no matter how many bites you take, the cone never disappears.

As silly as this analogy may seem, everything that God does is like this imaginary, never-diminishing ice cream cone. That is to say, everything God does lasts forever. King Solomon wrote about this attribute of God’s mercy, grace, and love, when he penned these words found in Ecclesiastes 3:12-14:

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 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 people will fear him.

This quality of God that endures forever, Solomon states, is so that people will fear Him—or, as we may be more comfortable saying: revere, or honor, or obey Him. God is who He is. While we puny humans can only partially comprehend the fullness of who God is, in His written Word—the Bible—He has revealed enough of Himself for our finite minds to apprehend this quality of His: forever endurance.

The stability that we have in our lives, as followers of Christ, comes from the fact that God’s nature and activity endures forever. James 1:17 states these familiar words:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

God’s forever endurance is the “un-shifting shadow”—or as the Authorized King James Version states: “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” God has ultimate stability. And, because He is who He is, we can build the entirety of our lives on that ultimate stability.

As we begin a new day, let’s thank God for the fact that everything He does endures forever. He always was, He is, and He always will be. His mercy, grace, and love will never fail because everything God does endures forever. His power to redeem us from the penalty of our sins will never fail to preserve us for eternity because everything God does endures forever. His ability to set us on a pathway toward holiness will never turn in an unchartered direction because everything God does endures forever.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 8: The Burden on the Human Race

 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

—Ecclesiastes 3:11

Did you ever think of yourself as laboring under a burden? For the last few days, I’ve shared with you some thoughts of King Solomon’s that he wrote at the end of his life. Some of these thoughts seem to drip with the early spring sap of helplessness—helplessness because there is more winter to come and the next freeze will actually hinder the flow of sap.

But, when we read Solomon’s words, we have to focus on a phrase that he uses many times throughout this Book of Ecclesiastes. They are the words: “under the sun” or “under heaven.” It is as if Solomon is drawing a line between the earth and heaven, and purposely excluding any influence that God might have on the spiritual well-being of His people here on the earth.

The late Bible Scholar/Teacher, Ravi Zacharias, suggests that we might paraphrase these modifiers in yet another phrase: “without God.” In other words, the helplessness and futility of which Solomon writes must be perceived as if the world was without God’s intervention, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

This, of course, is not the world in which we live. We, who follow Christ, have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. He literally dwells inside our hearts and minds. The Holy Spirit truly permeates our four human modalities: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical—or heart, soul, mind, and strength. As such, the Holy Spirit amplifies the Presence of God and His divine influence on our daily lives. So, as we read what Solomon has written, we must take each statement of helplessness as if the world around us was one in which the redemptive power of God, and His loving efforts to help us, were absent.

Imagine, if you can, a world in which you did not know God personally through His Son, Jesus, and one in which you did not experience the Presence of God in your life through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. It’s pretty frightening, isn’t it? And, it would definitely be a world where meaningless futility was at the end of every transaction.

In today’s reading, found in Ecclesiastes 3:9-11, please notice what Solomon states:

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

In these few words, Solomon begins to take a momentary turn in his methodical declaration that all is meaningless. Instead, he holds out a ray of hope. To answer his question regarding the reward for hard work, Solomon suggests that God has burdened the human race with the glories of a beautiful creation. More so, God has placed a longing for eternity in the depths of the human heart. How can this longing for eternity be a burden? C. S. Lewis provides an answer in his book, The Weight of Glory, where he writes: ¹

Now, if we are made for heaven, the desire for our proper place will be already in us, but not yet attached to the true object, and will even appear as the rival of that object … If a transtemporal, transfinite good is our real destiny, then any other good on which our desire fixes must be in some degree fallacious, must bear at best only a symbolical relation to what will truly satisfy.

The fact that God has placed within every single human heart the desire for eternity means that, when humans seek to satisfy that longing apart from God, they will find that nothing, absolutely nothing, truly satisfies. The hole in each of our hearts that God intends eternity to fill will remain vacant until He fills it with His glory.

Show me people running here and there trying to satisfy a longing that nothing can fill, and I will show you people who are truly living meaningless lives. No matter what they may accomplish, no matter what they may experience in the moment, no matter what they may say, they will always fall short and remain dissatisfied apart from becoming filled with the glory of God. Thus, Solomon has accurately predicted their state. They will, indeed, live lives that are truly meaningless.

The only way this burden on the human race can be lifted is through a personal relationship with God, through His precious Son, Jesus. Yes, salvation is all about the forgiveness of our sins, the satisfaction of God’s wrath toward us—because in His holiness, He cannot tolerate the presence of sin—the atoning sacrifice, the substitutionary death of Jesus in our place. But, salvation is also about filling that hole in each of our hearts where the longing for eternity resides. For, without salvation, we cannot experience eternity with God. Unless our sins are covered by Christ’s blood, we cannot enter into eternal life with God—our uncovered sins would be an abomination to our Holy God.

As we begin a new day, let’s think about the great joy that we experience because God has placed eternity in our hearts. Let’s be glad that this longing is not a burden to us because God’s Presence has given our lives genuine meaning, true value, and inestimable worth. We were made for eternity. We have heaven in view. And, our purpose here on earth is to share the vision we can see through our spiritually healed eyes, so that God might draw those whom He has chosen to Himself.

An anonymous gospel songwriter captured a bit of this in a song ² that most of us have heard at one time or another. It may seem simplistic and quaint, but it smacks of great truth.

This world is not my home. I’m just a-passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door.
And, I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
Oh Lord, You know, I have no friend like You.
If heaven’s not my home, then Lord, what will I do?
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door.
And, I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

 

______________________

1 Lewis, C. S. The Weight of Glory. New York: HarperCollins Publishing Company, 2001. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

2 Anonymous. “I Can’t Feel At Home Any More.” Publlic Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 7: What Time Is This In Your Life?

 

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens …”

—Ecclesiastes 3:1

Have you ever stopped to consider what time is this in your life? What do I mean? I’m asserting that in our lives we have specific times or seasons through which we pass, as we move from one time in our lives to another. If my assertion rings true for you, then I ask again: “Have you ever stopped to consider what time is this in your life?” And, do you even care? At the end of his life, King Solomon cared. In fact, he cared enough that he penned these words found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

No matter how we may choose to answer the question—“What time is this in our lives?”—we can move forward into this new day knowing that God has charted a pathway for us. His pathway includes every possible joy, and maybe a few periods of testing, even sorrow. Each of these seasons in our lives will ultimately secure for us the best possible existence that He has to offer us. As the Potter, He will shape us as His clay into the best form, in order to serve His purposes and share His mercy, grace, and love with those around us.

I’ve quoted Adelaide Addison Pollard’s hymn several times over the years I’ve written posts on this blog. It speaks to our response to the seasons of our lives: ¹

Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way;
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way;
Search me and try me, Master, today.
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way;
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray.
Power, all power, surely is Thine,
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way;
Hold o’er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me

May we pray the words of this hymn as our prayer today. Amen.

 

______________________

1 Pollard, Adelide A. “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” Publlic Domain. This Hymn is included in various Hymnals that are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 6: For Without Him ...

 

“A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?”

—Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

Sometimes I wonder if we really understand what the Apostle James was writing about when he penned these words found in James 1:17:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

This verse of Scripture means exactly what it says. Everything in our lives that is truly good and truly perfect has come to us as a gift from God. He is the Giver. We are the recipients. He gives and we receive.

Nothing we have is as a result of our ability to earn it. We do not deserve anything good in our lives. We are wretched, terrible, awful sinners. It is only through God’s mercy, grace, and love that we have been redeemed from our sin by the precious blood of Jesus.

We reach an important step in our Christian spiritual formation when we recognize, accept, and celebrate this reality: all that we are and all that we have has come to us as a precious gift from God. If we look at our lives and declare that we have good people and good things in our lives, then they have come to us as a gift from God. If we see that we have talents and abilities to do things in a better, more effective, way than others can, then that has come to us as a gift from God. Everything that is good or positive in our lives has come to us as a precious gift from God.

King Solomon knew this fact, as well. Here he was, the son of one of the greatest men in all of Scripture, King David. God had given Solomon great wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. There was no problem that Solomon could not solve, no challenge that he could not meet, no obstacle that he could not overcome. Not only was Solomon brilliant, he was handsome. He experienced excellent health. He accumulated great wealth, great power, and great stature in his world. But, Solomon also knew that all that he was and all that he had acquired had come to him as a precious gift from God. Please notice what he writes at the end of his life, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:24-26:

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

A key phrase from this discourse is “… for without him …” Indeed! Without God, without a vibrant, personal relationship with Him, nothing matters. Without God, the world around us is bleak and cold. Without God, the relationships we have with others will lack the depth and warmth we desire. Without God, we cannot possibly meet the trials and difficulties of life head on. Without God, we cannot fully enjoy the many wonderful gifts that come to us from His loving hand.

As a new day opens up before us, let us recognize, with the totality of our beings, that without God our lives would stink with the rot of eternal death. But with God, our lives have the sweet perfume of God’s mercy, grace, and abiding love. The aroma of the Lord Jesus Christ will have infused every pore of our beings. And, that scent of victory over sin, death, and Satan gives off an aroma that God uses to draw men, women, boys, and girls to Himself.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 5: The Reward for Labor

 

“What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?”

—Ecclesiastes 2:22

Have you ever worked very hard and, at the end of the workday, felt that you accomplished nothing? Please let me share an illustration.

When I was a student at Houghton College (now Houghton University) in western New York state, some friends asked me to drive them to a little town about twenty miles south of the College. They had agreed to unload some railroad cars.

Upon our arrival, the four of them went to work unloading 75-pound bags of cement. The boxcar probably held several hundred bags. I was not invited to help. In fact, because they didn’t want to share their wages with me, I was forbidden to help.

Quarter-hour after quarter-hour, they unloaded the boxcar. It was a very warm spring day. They soon soaked their tee shirts with sweat. Bag after bag, they kept unloading. After about seventy-five minutes, they still had a quarter of the boxcar to unload. They were tired and had begun to think better of this task.

Just as they finished unloading the boxcar, a truck drove up. In it was the man who had hired them. “I see you’ve got one car unloaded,” he said. “You realize there are three more cars, right?”

Sure enough, the car they had unloaded was flanked by two cars on the left and one car on the right. Each car was full to the top with bags of cement. I think my friends nearly fainted when they realized the task was only one-quarter completed.

As they started on the second car, I told them I would be back in a few hours. I drove back to the College, worked for about three-and-a-half hours, and drove back to the job site. It was now about seven o’clock in the evening. Fortunately, Daylight Savings Time was in effect.

When I arrived, they still had about one-third of the final car to go. To say that they were dragging would be an understatement. They were thoroughly tired and very discouraged. In a little less than an hour later, with a great deal of struggle, they finished unloading the final boxcar. They wearily got into my car and we headed back to the College.

The next morning, all four of them were so sore and so tired that they vehemently stated they would never undertake such a task again. Never, ever, under any circumstances would they work so hard for so little wages. When they finally totaled up their “take” for the day, they found that each of them had earned about a dollar and twenty-five cents an hour. Now, this was way back in 1967. But, even so, that was far too little money for such an investment of time and energy.

King Solomon understood their plight. In the Scripture passage for today, he continues the questioning at the end of his life, as we have been sharing with you over the past few days. Notice what he wrote, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:17-23:

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.

So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.

Sometimes we invest a great deal of time and effort into a task only to have the next person who takes up that task squander all our hard work:

I once had a friend, now deceased, who managed a cemetery. When he took over, the recordkeeping was horrible. He spent months and months straightening out a mess that had accumulated over thirty years. In the last twenty-five years that he managed the cemetery, he created systems and procedures to keep the records up to date and the management of the facility moving along like a well-oiled machine.

But, not long before he died, he realized that once he was gone, it would be likely that no one would devote the time and energy to the recordkeeping into which he invested so much of his time and effort. He imagined that soon after he would die, the records will again be in serious disarray.

That’s how Solomon felt. And yet, in considering the work of our hands—work that God has given us to do, as a part of His great plan for our lives—we must accept the reality that we are only responsible for our part. We cannot take responsibility for what has gone on before us and for what will come after us.

It’s good for us to recognize, as we begin another new day, that the measure of the value and success of our labor comes from God. Our role is to faithfully serve Him in whatever way He opens up before us. We are judged by our faithfulness. And, our labor for Him is never, ever, in vain.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Without God - Part 4: The Wise, Too, Must Die

 

“For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!”

—Ecclesiastes 2:16

In the midst of considering his life, now that he is approaching the end of it, King Solomon shares these thoughts, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:12-16:

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

Then I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said to myself, “This too is meaningless.” For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!

Some think that Solomon was far too concerned about his life and what he had done than was healthy for him. But, as I suggested in yesterday’s blog post, it is often good for us to take stock of where we’ve been, what we’ve accomplished, and where we intend to go, as the future unfolds before us.

My dear friend, Wayne Moore, in observing the timeline of most men’s careers, once remarked:

“In our careers we go from ‘Who’s he?’ to ‘Who’s who!’ to ‘Who cares?’”

I chuckle every time I hear Wayne’s voice in my mind, and think about what he said, because I know many who have experienced just such a career arc, including me. Within the narrow context of what we do for a living, men often define their existence by what they’ve accomplished and, especially, by what other people think about what those men have accomplished.

I believe women view their lives quite differently. Most women skillfully and devotedly play many roles in their lives: daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, career person, and so forth. Men, on the other hand, seem to really play only one or two roles—at least to the extent of where they invest most of their energy.

So, for a man, when his career ends at retirement—or, in some unfortunate cases, even earlier—he begins to sense the loss of his identity that he has forged throughout his career. That’s why so many older men seem to be driven to find relevancy in their dotage.

But, God uses the people He has chosen to belong to Himself during all the phases of their lives. That’s why the Bible urges young men to learn from older men. And, the Apostle Paul has given older men and older women key places in the development of the spiritual formation for the younger members of their churches (please read 1 Timothy 5).

As we consider the beginning of a new day, if we are younger, we should look to those men and women who are older for their wisdom and grace. If we are older, we should willingly share the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that God has given us over the course of our lives. Together, we can continue to serve others in the way God has instructed, no matter what age we may have reached.

All the while, we can celebrate the great joy that we have in fellowship with one another. We can also know that our relevance comes from God, not from what we have done in our careers. It is what we have done for Him that really has eternal value.

The inspirational poem by C. T. Studd (1860-1931) seems particularly appropriate: ¹

Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in “that day” my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice;
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Oh, let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say, “Thy will be done.”
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “’twas worth it all”:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

 

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1 Studd, C. T. “Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past.” Tyler, TX: Prescott Publishing Company, adapted from the Public Domain. Citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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Without God - Part 3: A Life Considered

 

“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

—Ecclesiastes 2:11

Do you ever look back over your life and ask whether what you’ve accomplished has genuine value? If God so allows it, in just five short months, I will reach an important milestone, as I complete 78 years of life. I know that old men often become nostalgic, longing for the “good old days.” I admit that, on very rare occasions, I feel a little bit nostalgic. But mostly, I feel a sense of failure. As I look back over my life, I’m not at all certain that I have lived up to my potential. I’m not certain that I have accomplished everything that I should have accomplished. I fear that sometimes I have taken the easy way out and not forced myself to accomplish more.

I know I’m not alone in that feeling. King Solomon accomplished far more in his life than I have ever accomplished. Yet, he was not certain he had lived up to his potential either. Notice what he wrote, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:4-11:

I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.

I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

I think to myself:

“If Solomon felt that all he accomplished was meaningless, how much more should I feel that way when I consider my own puny life?”

And yet, I know that God has chartered the pathway of my life. I committed my life to God way back in 1956 at the age of nine. I know for certain that He has guided me through my life, and I recognize that everything I have accomplished has been solely through His enabling. Perhaps that should be good enough. Instead of looking back with regret, I should look back with thanksgiving and joy that He has nudged me along the way and opened up so many wonderful opportunities for me.

That’s a lesson for all of us. We will never really know, this side of eternity, what we have truly accomplished in our lives. We need to trust God that His plan is perfect. He is the One who has determined what value our life has. If we have devoted ourselves to serving God, He is the One who judges our success. And, it is a much better reality to accept that in God’s love for us, He will accept our offering of ourselves to Him as the best accomplishment we could ever have made.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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Without God - Part 2: The Pleasure Test

 

“Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?”

—Ecclesiastes 2:1-3

Have you every wondered why pleasure is so … err … pleasurable? I mean wouldn’t it be a lot easier if “pleasure” had a bitter taste, or an obnoxious smell, attached to it?

King Solomon admitted that he was testing his subjects with pleasure, just to see how they would respond, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:1-3:

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.

“Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?”

I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

Of course, not everything we deem pleasurable is bad for us. God has given us some things we find filled with pleasure that come as a direct gift from Him. But usually, such things have some regulations attached to them—they can be “good for us” only under certain circumstances where these pleasures are experienced in the proper time, the proper place, and with the proper motive.

Contrary to what some think, living a life dedicated to Jesus does not take away all pleasure. Instead, serving Christ makes experiencing the truly pleasurable things that are good for us, even better. Consciously following in the footsteps of our Savior enhances the pleasurable things in this life.

As we begin a new day, let’s learn to enjoy God’s gift of pleasure, within the framework that He has also given us. Instead of pursuing pleasure in the selfish way that normally marks us as sinful humans, let’s determine to follow God’s plan whenever He gives us pleasurable gifts. If we do this, we will truly experience the very best God has to give us. And, we will do so in the best possible way.

 

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Without God - Part 1: Meaningless! Meaningless!

 

“The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.”

—Ecclesiastes 1:8b

When things don’t go your way, have you ever cried out in frustration? If so, you are certainly not alone. Even kings sometimes become frustrated with the world around them. King Solomon cried out in frustration, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 1:1-11:

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.

“All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new’? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.”

What does it mean when Solomon states:

“The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing”?

Doesn’t that indicate that we humans are never satisfied? We always want more. We never reach our capacity. Even if we have everything possible heaped on us, we still feel frustrated and disappointed.

But, God is the giver of every gift—every perfect gift. How do we dare not be satisfied with His provision?

As we begin a new day, let’s contemplate King Solomon’s words. Let’s rejoice that, whatever we may have, it has come to us as a precious gift from God. Yes, we may have difficulties in our lives. Our existence may seem almost unbearable at times. But, God has not forsaken us. He is at work in our behalf. Without His loving provision, we would be far worse off than we are.

Let’s rest in His unfailing love this day. And, let’s thank Him for His faithfulness. Our lives may not have turned out like we once thought they would. But, if God were not caring for us in His unique way, we would be in much more dire straights.

Sometimes life does seem meaningless. But that’s because we still don’t see the end. And, what’s up ahead will tell a tale of ultimate victory. Of that I am absolutely certain.

 

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What Does God Expect of Us?

 

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you…”

—Deuteronomy 10:12a

In developing a relationship with someone, have you ever asked the question:

“Exactly what do you expect of me?”

Such a question usually arises because something has happened that has put a bit of a strain on the relationship. Not wanting to cause a further disturbance to the equilibrium of the relationship, we reach out to try to understand exactly what the other person expects of us.

As Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the desert, there came a time when God instructed Moses to ascend the mountain and receive the stone tablets on which God had written ten laws He wanted His people to follow. While Moses was absent, the people became impatient. They created a golden calf and began to worship it, instead of remaining faithful to God.

When Moses came down from the mountain, he was furious that the people had disobeyed God, created an idol to worship, and generally put themselves in severe disarray. In disgust and anger, Moses threw down the two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments. The tablets broke into pieces.

In response, God summoned Moses to return to the mountain. Then, God fashioned two new tablets and graciously wrote His ten laws on the new tablets. As Moses comes down off the mountain, he gathers the people together and answers the question:

“What does God expect us to do?”

Moses’ answer is found in Deuteronomy 10:12-13:

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

As “Christ’s-ones,” we have been grafted into the line of the chosen people of God. And, while we are no longer under the Law, but under grace, the message of the Law reminds us of what it means to be devoted to God.

Therefore, this new day, let’s understand that with our sins covered by the blood of God’s Son, Jesus, God still relates to us in a way that demands our obedience in all things. Thus, God asks us today to fear Him—that is to hold Him in the highest possible regard—to walk in obedience to Him, to love Him, to serve Him with all our four human modalities: our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to observe His commands by and through the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us.

 

_{Blog Post Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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