USA Today

I wrote this in 2011 thinking about what lessons the USA should have considered ten years after 9/11, and now almost 20 years later, what have we learned?

Ephesians 5:15-16
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

BE WISE about life – look at it from God’s perspective and consider the days/times knowing the downward pull of the curse.

Let’s walk with Solomon in search for wisdom and answers from his writings in Ecclesiastes:

1:2-4, 9-11  Life!  What makes sense?  What’s it all about?

1:12-13  Think, ponder, consider, study, muse on it – find answers.

1:14  The answer?  Under the sun it is all wind, empty, temporary, fleeting, vain, and worthless.

1:17  His quest and some thoughts about our country…

Life in the USA:

2:1, wine/fineries/joy/relaxation – a 40 hr. work week
2:4, work(s) – great buildings, airplanes, and companies like Caterpillar and Facebook
2:5, wheat fields
2:6, water works
2:7, white-faced cattle
2:8, wealth
2:8b, wizards
2:8c, wind instruments,
2:9-10 any and all Solomon tried and such is true for us today
2:10, women – we know this from I Kings 11:3 – 700 wives, 300 concubines
2:12, wisdom

Conclusion:  2:17, Solomon hated life.

2:24  Any good is from God as none of man’s quests or successes satisfy.

Philosophies of the USA:

3:1-9  Fatalism/Hyper-Calvinism – all is fixed and man is but a puppet
3:10-11  Skepticism – nothing is absolute, antinomianism
3:12-13  Epicureanism/Hedonism/Pleasure – live without thought of tomorrow
3:14-17  Deism/Open Theism/Arminianism – God there but man is in control
3:18-19  Evolution – man is constantly changing and improving, old is bad/outdated
3:20-22  Universalism – ultimately there is good for all people, everybody wins/ribbon

Relationships in the USA:

4:1  Oppression – survival of the fittest
4:4  Greed and Envy – keep up with the Joneses – keep up, push down, corporate ladder
4:7  Loneliness – cities are the loneliest places, family meltdown
4:13  Honor is short-lived – very fickle, heroes and stars all quickly fade

So??  12:13-14

Fear God – Hebrews 12:29, He is a consuming fire.

Revere God – Love Him passionately, give Him His due, “Hallowed be His name!”

Keep His laws/rules/ways – Love your neighbor, do good,  I Peter 3:11, Romans 12:9-21

Give, Ephesians 4:28, lay up for the next generation, II Corinthians 12:14

Love of your child:  discipline, warn, say no, point them to Jesus

Love your enemies, Matthew 5:44

All is seen by God and all will be accounted for – the good and bad, public and private!