Ecclesiastes 11 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Uncertainties of Life

11 Send your grain across the seas,
    and in time, profits will flow back to you.^[a]
2 But divide your investments among many places,^[b]
    for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.

³ When clouds are heavy, the rains come down.
    Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.

⁴ Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.
    If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

⁵ Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb,^[c] so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

⁶ Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.

Let’s look at verse 6. If you are going through something, like an illness, financial problems, etc. keep your eyes on the Lord and just keep doing what you have been doing for him.  Remember that person you have been ministering to is still watching you.  They may not understand why you are still being so positive, upbeat, smiling or happy, until they see what the Lord has/had done for you.  But remember even if the outcome isn’t what our flesh would like for it to have been we need to show those around us a thankfulness that the Lord helped us just to get through our time of need.  It may not be what we wanted either but we know that the Lord knows what was best. And always give thanks to Him.  So plant your seed in the morning and keep busy for the Lord all afternoon Praising Him because we don’t know if that person or persons are still watching us through bad times.  If they are watching, what an awesome testimony you have for them to see what the Lord can and is willing to do for all of us.

As verse 4 says that the Farmer who waits for perfect weather never plants, if we wait to help someone and show them Gods love on the good times than how are they to get to know who our Lord is on the bad times? When we need to show them who God really is, is on the good and bad times.  So keep your joy in life, don’t go around showing your down cast face to them.  Cast your cares to Him because He cares for you. Don’t be scared to go out, get out there and share His love with others even if you don’t feel like it. And verse 1 says to send grain “His love” out and it will come back to you, just think you have shown that non believer His love and when they get who He is that love is returned. Yes this verse can mean so many different things, money, good works, etc. but I am putting His love here. Like verse 3 says what is it going to matter which way things go, good or bad the outcome is still going to be God loves us and we win at the end anyway.

Through my trials and challenges with my right leg it has been hard to keep this outlook for those around me.  I try really hard and sometimes it isn’t good for my family, they have to see the ugliness of the trial.  Our friends they might just get to see a little of the ugliness but they don’t see the behind scene.

Verse 5  Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb,^[c] so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

And we know that He does all things well. 

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

So keep your chin up and shine that joy that the Lord put in your heart on all to see.

Merry Christmas,

Kim