Devo - The World's Measuring Tools
The World's Measuring Tools
Ecclesiastes 8:1-17
Have you ever felt the “other guy” is getting ahead? Are we measuring with the right tools? This short devotion is taken from the full message, “Rightly Handling Wrongs,” from the “Ecclesiastes” series. Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 is the text for this message.
Even though it seems like the wicked prosper, in verse 13, it says, “The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God.” Do you think, do you perceive, do you analyze and interpret the wicked and say they’re prospering? They’re not. Your analysis and interpretation are wrong. You’re not using God’s wisdom. You’re using your own wisdom.
You say, “That wicked person is prospering!” And God laughs and says, “Good one!” They’re not prospering. What’s the difference? These little words, “in this life.” You think you see the godly not being better off? You’re wrong. If you perceive, if you analyze and interpret that the godly are not being better off, you’re wrong. You’re not using God’s wisdom – you’re using your own.
Solomon says they will be better off because they do fear God. Is it possible that we are using the wrong measuring device? When we’re analyzing and interpreting the wicked and the wrongs in the world, is it possible that we’re using the wrong measuring device? Are we measuring what is good and prosperity by what we can see in this minuscule vapor of a life?
Is that our measuring device, where we say, “Yeah, but God… Yeah, but God…look at how good things are going for them.” And God is saying, “You know what? They are not going to see the sun rise tomorrow.”
What if our measuring stick is wrong? Are we really (this is critical) using the amount of “dung” and “kindling” that a person is collecting for the fire to determine whether they are doing well? “Oh! That person is doing well! He has a mountain of dung there!”
Listen, Paul says in Philippians Chapter 3, all that I gained I counted loss, even as excrement, as garbage, as dung, that I may gain Christ. And we’re saying, “Yeah, but, look at all the dung they have!”
And not only dung, but they have a whole pile of kindling for the fire when this world burns. “Lord, I want dung… I want kindling for the fire… How come I don’t get that? How come I only get Heaven and your presence and your glory for eternity? They get a pile of dung for a vapor!”
Is there a chance that maybe our perception is wrong? Is there a chance that our measuring device might actually be wrong? It’s because we use our own wisdom, and our own wisdom is driven by our sin nature. And if we will crucify our own wisdom and receive God’s wisdom, we’re going to be saying, “Oh! That poor sucker. All he has is dung and kindling, and I have Jesus.”
Oh! That’s easy to say on Sunday. Listen. Stop it. Stop measuring someone else’s prosperity with the world’s measuring tools. Stop. It. Stop it. It’s man’s wisdom.
Even though it seems like the wicked prosper, in verse 13, it says, “The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God.” Do you think, do you perceive, do you analyze and interpret the wicked and say they’re prospering? They’re not. Your analysis and interpretation are wrong. You’re not using God’s wisdom. You’re using your own wisdom.
You say, “That wicked person is prospering!” And God laughs and says, “Good one!” They’re not prospering. What’s the difference? These little words, “in this life.” You think you see the godly not being better off? You’re wrong. If you perceive, if you analyze and interpret that the godly are not being better off, you’re wrong. You’re not using God’s wisdom – you’re using your own.
Solomon says they will be better off because they do fear God. Is it possible that we are using the wrong measuring device? When we’re analyzing and interpreting the wicked and the wrongs in the world, is it possible that we’re using the wrong measuring device? Are we measuring what is good and prosperity by what we can see in this minuscule vapor of a life?
Is that our measuring device, where we say, “Yeah, but God… Yeah, but God…look at how good things are going for them.” And God is saying, “You know what? They are not going to see the sun rise tomorrow.”
What if our measuring stick is wrong? Are we really (this is critical) using the amount of “dung” and “kindling” that a person is collecting for the fire to determine whether they are doing well? “Oh! That person is doing well! He has a mountain of dung there!”
Listen, Paul says in Philippians Chapter 3, all that I gained I counted loss, even as excrement, as garbage, as dung, that I may gain Christ. And we’re saying, “Yeah, but, look at all the dung they have!”
And not only dung, but they have a whole pile of kindling for the fire when this world burns. “Lord, I want dung… I want kindling for the fire… How come I don’t get that? How come I only get Heaven and your presence and your glory for eternity? They get a pile of dung for a vapor!”
Is there a chance that maybe our perception is wrong? Is there a chance that our measuring device might actually be wrong? It’s because we use our own wisdom, and our own wisdom is driven by our sin nature. And if we will crucify our own wisdom and receive God’s wisdom, we’re going to be saying, “Oh! That poor sucker. All he has is dung and kindling, and I have Jesus.”
Oh! That’s easy to say on Sunday. Listen. Stop it. Stop measuring someone else’s prosperity with the world’s measuring tools. Stop. It. Stop it. It’s man’s wisdom.