September 9
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THE INJUSTICES OF LIFE
A poem by ILMA
I noticed that under the sun there is evil and corruption in the courtroom “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”
I also thought about how God proves to people that they are like animals
For people and animals share the same fate, both breathe and both must die.
So, people have no real advantage over the animals; how meaningless
Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust
For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and animals goes down
So, I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work.
That is our lot in life; no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die
Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun
I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them
The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless.
So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living
But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born
For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun
Then I saw most people want success because they envy others.
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MEMORY VERSE
Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. – Ecclesiastes 4:4
Read: Ecclesiastes 3:16- 4:6
As long as we are alive, we will be witnesses to the many injustices in this world. This chapter of Ecclesiastes tells us how meaningless life can be and how chasing success is futile and worthless.
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REFLECTION
• Why do people chase success in this life?
• Why do you think God allows injustices to happen even in the lives of good people?
• What should be the focus of a believer’s life?