When I first started reading the Bible I enjoyed the wisdom books the most, Ecclesiastes & Proverbs. My least fav? The Song of Solomon aka Song of Songs…while it paints a beautiful picture of love, sex & marriage, it’s just not my thing and still holds its position as my least favorite. 🏆🏆🏆
Solomon wrote all three books, each houses allegories of spiritual & practical wisdom. Here, I’m going to pull from treasures in Ecclesiastes.
The overall tone of this book may be somber, but I find the writer’s reflective outlook on life’s surprises sobering and quite refreshing.
| TAKE RISKS |
Cast thy bread upon the waters…well what does that mean??? Your bread is your provision and the water represents prospects found in new opportunities. Water symbolizing new opportunities…weird❓❓❓ Well…a mother’s water breaks before birth 🌊🌊🌊 and Christ said water was needed to be born again or for your new birth (John 3:3, 5).
Have you heard the statement “don’t put all your eggs in one basket?!” 🐣🐣🐣Well, verse two of Ecclesiastes 11, provides its biblical parallel. By dividing your resources into many options you create multiple streams of income.
Look at this statement as a challenge to take wise risks and also to invest in multiple options.
| LET THE TREES FALL WHERE THEY MAY |
It’s wise to observe, study and plan for your future! Buuuuuuuut…your planning should never become a crutch. What do I mean?
Flickr/Sandy Tang
It shouldn’t keep you from starting, or even worst, keep you from relying on God! God’s G R A C E is there to cover you in those moments where the “TREES” fall where they may. 🌲
Let God build a bridge over the tree and keep moving.
| NO PERFECT TIME |
Instead of waiting for “a perfect time to start,” a healthier view is to look for optimal and favorable conditions 🚦🚦🚦. Even when you wait for God you’ll encounter obstacles. 💡💡💡 This is a PRIME EXAMPLE of why you shouldn’t decide to abort your vision because of – I cringe to say this – a problem (I see problems as opportunities and God has made me a master at making the most of them). Ask Abraham, Ask Moses, Ask Samuel – I really don’t have to keep going, but here’s one more… Let’s ask Apostle Paul.
Paul is my guy. In Acts 21:1-14, Paul set sail for Jerusalem ⛵️⛵️⛵️. Along the way, the ship made a few stops. In Tyre, believers inspired by the Holy Spirit urged Paul not to continue his journey. Paul had tunnel vision. He knew he had to go even if God had revealed less favorable conditions about his trip to them.
Later in Caesarea, Agabus the prophet used a prophetic demonstration to forewarn Paul of the hardship he would endure. He took Paul’s own belt and tied it around his waist saying the owner of the belt would be bound by leaders in Jerusalem.
| THE WORK ISN’T ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD |
Had Paul waited for the perfect time to go, He would’ve never set foot outside his door. He certainly would have avoided Jerusalem and his purpose would have gone unfulfilled. Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem led to him being brought to Rome…the hub of civilization during that time and the message of Christ reaching a much broader audience!
| DON’T BE SLACK IN YOUR EFFORTS |
Sowing seed is a phrase any farmer or horticulturist is familiar with. Sow means to plant. Here we are taught to work diligently and without laziness, because you don’t know which of your works will yield a return, or even better both!
| YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES |
A man prepared for a long trip, before leaving He allotted money to three of his employees. He gave to each of them in proportion to their abilities and what they could handle.
One was given 5️⃣💰 bags of silver, another 2️⃣💰bags and a third was given 1️⃣💰bag of silver. When the overseer returned the one with 5️⃣💰bags had doubled his money, the one with 2️⃣ did the same, but the one with the 1️⃣…well he didn’t do anything.
He reasoned that his employer was difficult to please. This was his crutch. He never started because he didn’t want to take the risk and fail the overseer.
🤔🙄😡 The overseer wasn’t happy, he was perplexed at why the lazy worker didn’t at least invest the money. He took his 1️⃣💰bag of silver and gave it to the first (Matthew 25:14-30).
We have freely been given ideas, dreams, & talents as resources to prosper.
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God desires that we prosper (3 John 1:2).
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God gives us the power to build wealth to establish His plans in the earth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
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God teaches us to profit (Isaiah 48:17).
With this being said, we are without excuse…
| FINAL WORDS |
Don’t allow the fear of failure to hold you back. Set reasonable expectations. Don’t get stuck on where to begin. God doesn’t expect you to have it all figured out, He’s just waiting for you to take the 👣👣👣 first step….
- Research Your Idea
- Write the Vision
- Find a Mentor
- Get Certifications
- Shadow Someone in Your Field of Study or Potential Career Path…
What’s my point? Just start…
Cast your bread on the waters.
Photo Credit: Giphy/Agatha Yu
