"Planting Is Wise" Ecc Pt 12 Series

“Planting seeds of wisdom is wise.”

Ecclesiastes pt. 12

Opening Illustration: Clip from Blue Fish TV “Super Bowl Sunday”

Thesis: Solomon tells us to plant seeds of wisdom even when we are young because then we will reap a great eternal harvest with our life. Invest now with your life and reap eternal dividends – squander your life now reap anxiety and physical trouble later.

Scripture Text: Ecc. Chapter 11

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,

for after many days you will find it again.

2 Give portions to seven, yes to eight,

for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

3 If clouds are full of water,

they pour rain upon the earth.

Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,

in the place where it falls, there will it lie.

4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;

whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

5 As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.

6 Sow your seed in the morning,

and at evening let not your hands be idle,

for you do not know which will succeed,

whether this or that,

or whether both will do equally well.

7 Light is sweet,

and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

8 However many years a man may live,

let him enjoy them all.

But let him remember the days of darkness,

for they will be many.

Everything to come is meaningless.

9 Be happy, young man, while you are young,

and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.

Follow the ways of your heart

and whatever your eyes see,

but know that for all these things

God will bring you to judgment.

10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart

and cast off the troubles of your body,

for youth and vigor are meaningless.

Introduction:

Solomon in this chapter seeks to awaken us to the importance of how we are using our time. He challenges us to plant seeds of wisdom with our lives especially when we are young. He emphasizes the importance of planting and harvesting in life. Solomon is once again highlighting the importance of sowing seeds of wisdom into our life while we are young because then we will have a harvest to draw from in our later years. He reminds us that being young and full of energy is good but it will only last a short while.

Illustration from a Treasury of Bible Illustrations - Only One Life

With a shining quarter, a tiny little boy went into a candy store. With the utmost seriousness, studying each assortment with deep thoughtfulness, he wandered from case to case. Tired of waiting, his mother called, “Hurry, son, spend your quarter. We must be going.” The child replied, “But Mama, I have got to spend it carefully; I only have one.”

You, too, have only one life. How are you spending it?

Solomon has been warning us to not waste away our lives by living a life filled with foolish ways which have not eternal value attached to them.

He is crying out to us to get busy for the Kingdom of God. He is telling us to live life for the Lord and make a difference with your life. Quit waiting around just decided to do and then do it. Why are so many people just standing around staring into the sky and living a life which has no meaning, no purpose, and no value?

Video Illustration: Moth and rust from Blue Fish TV – What are you doing with your lifetime?

We need to quit hoarding things and instead give them away!

We need to quit drifting through life with no eternal direction and instead become purpose driven people.

We need to quit being afraid of life and live life with a courageous trust in God to see us through.

Too many of us have bought into the philosophy of the world – Swindoll explains their philosophy this way:

Get all you can,

Can all you get,

Then sit on the can! (Living on the Ragged Edge, page 319)

Swindoll notes: The last couple of chapters of Ecclesiastes are penned by the wisest man to have ever lived and he pleads with us too:

Be bullish – Be bold – Be joyful – Be godly – then I add as a result of doing these 4 things, “Be blessed for eternity!”

T.S. - Let’s jump into chapter 11 of Ecclesiastes and learn the lessons that will bring a eternal blessings into our lives in the future – let’s learn how to invest into eternity!