Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all the days which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] part. Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot and to rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God [to him].
—Ecclesiastes 5:18-19
I want you to notice the words allotted part and appointed lot in the above passage. What King Solomon is basically communicating here is this message: enjoy your life. Take your “appointed lot” in life and enjoy it. In other words, embrace the life—the personality, the strengths and weaknesses, the family, the resources, the opportunities, the physical qualities, the abilities, the gifts, and the uniqueness—God has given you.
The only life you can enjoy is your own. That statement may seem so obvious that it’s unnecessary, but think about it. One of the primary reasons many people do not enjoy their lives is because they are not happy with the lives they have. When I speak to them about enjoying their lives, the first thought they often have is, I would enjoy my life if I had your life, Joyce! Instead of embracing the realities of their lives, these people spend their time thinking, I wish I looked like So-and-So. I wish I had So-and-So’s job. I wish I were married. I wish my marriage weren’t so difficult. I wish I had children. I wish my children would grow up. I wish I had a new house. I wish I didn’t have such a big house to clean. I wish I had a big ministry . . .
The truth of the matter is, the first step to enjoying our everyday lives is to be grateful for the lives we’ve been given. We must not allow jealousy to cause us to be absent from our own lives because we want what someone else has. You have to take what you have and decide you are going to do the best you can with it. What are you doing with what you have been given?
Trust in Him: God is asking you to be faithful with your life, not with someone else’s. Trust that God knew what He was doing when He gave your life to you.
Enjoy Your Everyday Life
by Joyce Meyer - posted January 21, 2017Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all the days which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] part. Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot and to rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God [to him].
—Ecclesiastes 5:18-19
I want you to notice the words allotted part and appointed lot in the above passage. What King Solomon is basically communicating here is this message: enjoy your life. Take your “appointed lot” in life and enjoy it. In other words, embrace the life—the personality, the strengths and weaknesses, the family, the resources, the opportunities, the physical qualities, the abilities, the gifts, and the uniqueness—God has given you.
The only life you can enjoy is your own. That statement may seem so obvious that it’s unnecessary, but think about it. One of the primary reasons many people do not enjoy their lives is because they are not happy with the lives they have. When I speak to them about enjoying their lives, the first thought they often have is, I would enjoy my life if I had your life, Joyce! Instead of embracing the realities of their lives, these people spend their time thinking, I wish I looked like So-and-So. I wish I had So-and-So’s job. I wish I were married. I wish my marriage weren’t so difficult. I wish I had children. I wish my children would grow up. I wish I had a new house. I wish I didn’t have such a big house to clean. I wish I had a big ministry . . .
The truth of the matter is, the first step to enjoying our everyday lives is to be grateful for the lives we’ve been given. We must not allow jealousy to cause us to be absent from our own lives because we want what someone else has. You have to take what you have and decide you are going to do the best you can with it. What are you doing with what you have been given?
Trust in Him: God is asking you to be faithful with your life, not with someone else’s. Trust that God knew what He was doing when He gave your life to you.
Our Unchanging God
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
Malachi 3:5–6
For decades, ships traveling through the treacherous waters off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada relied on the Church Point Lighthouse as a landmark to make their way safely to port. Even after GPS and other tracking technology came into use, the lighthouse still stood as a visual marker for those traversing the seas. But in 2014, a massive spring storm with winds nearing hurricane force swept the 140-year-old wooden structure completely off its foundation and destroyed it. What once had been a certain landmark for travelers disappeared overnight.
The world around us is filled with change and uncertainty. Companies come and go, governments are replaced, and economic upheaval is the order of the day. It seems that nothing is sure, settled, or absolute—and many people seem to like it better that way. Yet through every alteration in our circumstances and surroundings, God remains unchanging and faithful. Because of His nature, we can count on Him to be consistent and reliable in every struggle. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
This year’s science textbook may be completely different from the one published just a few years ago because of new discoveries. This year’s history book may have been altered by archaeological findings. This year’s balance statement may be different because of new legal requirements. But the Bible is still the same, reliable, true rock because it is God’s revelation.
Malachi 3:5–6
For decades, ships traveling through the treacherous waters off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada relied on the Church Point Lighthouse as a landmark to make their way safely to port. Even after GPS and other tracking technology came into use, the lighthouse still stood as a visual marker for those traversing the seas. But in 2014, a massive spring storm with winds nearing hurricane force swept the 140-year-old wooden structure completely off its foundation and destroyed it. What once had been a certain landmark for travelers disappeared overnight.
The world around us is filled with change and uncertainty. Companies come and go, governments are replaced, and economic upheaval is the order of the day. It seems that nothing is sure, settled, or absolute—and many people seem to like it better that way. Yet through every alteration in our circumstances and surroundings, God remains unchanging and faithful. Because of His nature, we can count on Him to be consistent and reliable in every struggle. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
This year’s science textbook may be completely different from the one published just a few years ago because of new discoveries. This year’s history book may have been altered by archaeological findings. This year’s balance statement may be different because of new legal requirements. But the Bible is still the same, reliable, true rock because it is God’s revelation.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If we plant our feet on the sure foundation of the Word and character of God, we will never be shaken.
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