Verse of the Day 2/8

Verse of the Day 2/8

Ecclesiastes 3:11

New International Version

11 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.

Today's verse came up in my daily reading in the Wisdom literature mainly attributed to Solomon.  The third chapter of Ecclesiastes records the well known section "a time for every season".  Who can't read that passage without having the Byrds' song "Turn, Turn, Turn" come to mind?  Even in secular society I would say that most peple believe in some kind of afterlife and today's verse states it well, it is God that has put eternity in the human heart." There is a wonder about it and a desire to find the answer to what lies beyond.

St. Augustine famously wrote, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until they find rest in you." In all those times and seasons mentioned earlier in the chapter God is there, He has given us the desire to find Him, to know Him, to understand Him and to praise Him in all of these seasons.

Pastor John Piper writes, "The self was never designed to satisfy itself or rely upon itself. It never can be sufficient. We are but in the image of God, not God himself. We are shadows and echoes. So there will always be an emptiness in the soul that struggles to be satisfied with the resources of self."

Is your heart at rest, have you found your rest in Him?  Finding it can leave you speechless.

So what kind of love can this be
That will trade heaven's throne for a cross
To think that you still celebrate
For finding just one who was lost.
To know you rejoice over us
The God of this whole universe.
It's a story too great for words

And I am speechless, I'm astonished and amazed
I am silenced by your wondrous grace.
You have saved me
You have raised me from the grave.
And I am speechless in your presence now.
I'm astounded as I consider how
You have shown us
A love that leaves us speechless
We are speechless

Oh, how great is the love
The Father has lavished upon us
That we should be called
The sons and the daughters of God

We are speechless
(We stand in awe of your grace)
so amazed
(We stand in awe of your mercy)
You have saved us
(We stand in awe of your love)
from the grave
(We are speechless)                   (Speechless - Steven Curtis Chapman)

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

New International Version

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 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.

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