Ecclesiastes 11 “An Unknown Future”

Ecclesiastes 11 NIV

Limited Resources Due to Limited Access to the Internet at the Retreat.

Resources for Family Worship (with Children)

• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

“If you have money, invest it in trade” (v. 1) is a paraphrase. Literally, as in the Revised Version of the Korean Bible, it reads, “Cast your bread upon the waters.” Taking the surrounding context into account, the translator understood this metaphor as investment advice. The Teacher advises that if one has surplus money, one should invest it and diversify risk (vv. 1–2). The Teacher’s main concern is to emphasize the uncertainty of the future. Whether one is engaged in business or farming, one must always keep in mind that the future is unknowable (vv. 3–5). The best preparation for an unknown future is to be diligent, to do one’s best in everything, and to entrust the results to God (v. 6).

The Teacher once again praises “living.” To be alive is truly a good thing (v. 7), and therefore, one should enjoy all the days that are given. However, two things must be remembered. One is that days of darkness will also come (v. 8), and the other is that God will judge everything (v. 9). Young people in particular must remember this. Otherwise, they may waste the precious time given to them (v. 10).

Meditation:

Up to this point, the Teacher has repeatedly confessed that the affairs of the world and human life are utterly incomprehensible. He made every effort, in various ways, to secure safety and prosperity for the future, but he came to realize that there is no all-purpose wisdom that works at all times and under all conditions. Human effort does have some influence on future life, but more often than not, it does not. The future belongs entirely to God’s domain. God rules and leads us according to His sovereignty. At times He humbles us, and at times He exalts us. At times, He grants health, and at times, He allows illness. Even when something appears to us as misfortune, we trust that God has another purpose and entrust the outcome to Him.

Recent neuroscience researchers have concluded that the root of human emotion is “fear.” Negative emotions such as worry, anxiety, and uneasiness all stem from fear. That fear arises from the fact that we cannot know the future and from the intuition that something unfortunate may happen. The Teacher exhorts us to accept this as an unavoidable reality. Once we acknowledge this truth, the only alternative is to entrust the future to God and live faithfully in the time that has been given to us now. Whenever we make decisions, we should always anticipate the possibility that things may go wrong and prepare a Plan B. This is not failure, but God’s surprise.

John offers a different remedy for fear, a fundamental human emotion. He says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). The “perfect love” he speaks of was revealed on the cross of Jesus Christ. When we receive that love and abide in God, fear can be healed at its very root. When we entrust our lives to God, who loved us enough to give His one and only Son, even death becomes a blessed thing.

Prayer:

As we come to the end of one year and prepare for a new one, we give thanks for the grace You have given us over the past year. There were difficult days, but there were also many joyful days. There were failures, but we also enjoyed the blessings we did not expect. We thank You, Lord, for walking with us through all these days. In the coming year, help us to walk even more closely with You. For if we are in You, there is nothing we cannot endure. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: We don’t need to control the future—we can trust God’s love today. The future belongs to God, and God loves us perfectly. When we place our lives in God’s hands, fear does not have the final word.

• For Preschool-Elementary:
  • What is something that makes you feel scared sometimes?
  • When you feel scared, who helps you feel safe? How do you think God helps you feel safe?
  • What is one small thing you can thank God for today?
    
• Youth:
  • What kind of “fear” do students your age carry the most—grades, future, relationships, or something else?
  • The devotion says fear comes from not knowing the future. How does God’s love change how we face that fear?
  • What might it mean to see your “Plan B” not as failure, but as God’s surprise?