Portrait of life
Portrait of life
Have I ever shared how I've always come back from my IBI class challenged, reminded, refreshed and inspired? I'm just so encouraged by each weekly devotion that my lecturer begins the class with - and I've always learn so much from him, and giggled at his witty responses and jokes as he teach.
This week, he used Ecclesiastes chapter 3 as a devotion passage. He reminded us that very often, we take the verses in chapter 3 to "function" on its own, and used them to "justify" our actions, or to explain something that had happened. For example, when something happened, we quote, "there's a time to ... and a time to ..." (go read Eccl 3:1 to 8). Well, whether such words became a comfort and encouragement or not, that is definitely not the purpose of the writer of Ecclesiastes.
My lecturer reminded us that Eccl 3 shows a portrait of life - that life comprises of all these events and seasons, different feelings and responses. It is a picture that shows what life is all about. Not a justification for our actions, or responses, or whatever.
His sharing reminded me of how frequently we tend to take Scripture on its own, without looking at the context of why the verses were written, and then applied them into our situation, or our time. No wonder there are many incorrect doctrines that are penetrating our churches, and our generations not learning the right meaning of what God had intended His Words to mean.
Have I ever shared how I've always come back from my IBI class challenged, reminded, refreshed and inspired? I'm just so encouraged by each weekly devotion that my lecturer begins the class with - and I've always learn so much from him, and giggled at his witty responses and jokes as he teach.
This week, he used Ecclesiastes chapter 3 as a devotion passage. He reminded us that very often, we take the verses in chapter 3 to "function" on its own, and used them to "justify" our actions, or to explain something that had happened. For example, when something happened, we quote, "there's a time to ... and a time to ..." (go read Eccl 3:1 to 8). Well, whether such words became a comfort and encouragement or not, that is definitely not the purpose of the writer of Ecclesiastes.
My lecturer reminded us that Eccl 3 shows a portrait of life - that life comprises of all these events and seasons, different feelings and responses. It is a picture that shows what life is all about. Not a justification for our actions, or responses, or whatever.
His sharing reminded me of how frequently we tend to take Scripture on its own, without looking at the context of why the verses were written, and then applied them into our situation, or our time. No wonder there are many incorrect doctrines that are penetrating our churches, and our generations not learning the right meaning of what God had intended His Words to mean.
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