September 3
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ECCLESIASTES 2
12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. – Ecclesiastes 2:12-17
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ECCLESIASTES 2 DEATH IS INEVITABLE & LIFE IS FLEETING
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
Whether we live our lives chasing after wisdom
Or if we hold on to a life of reckless abandon
We will inevitably face death as it is a part of this life
Fools or wise, rich or poor, we will all eventually die.
The wise has his pursuit of wisdom and chase it with passion
The fool chooses to walk in darkness, chaos and deception
But they all will come to the same culmination, their life ends
So, what is the point of all this striving? It is just meaningless.
If our purpose in life is to chase dreams or be reckless
Is it worth living since our lives will eventually vanish?
What if we live for someone who will give us a life without end?
Won’t our lives be worth living if we have assurance of eternity?
Physical death will then be a welcome thought because we will be united with Christ
Our lives will be with purpose and no longer vain when we serve the One who was Risen
Fear of failure, death and being not good enough will no longer haunt us
We will see then that life is not our master, but it is Jesus, who is our Savior.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some people fear death? How should believers view death?