Passage of the Day - June 20, 2011

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; 2 before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. 5 Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street. 6 Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. 8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

It is fairly common knowledge that most Christians became Christians when they were younger. To put it bluntly (and somewhat crassly), it is easier to get someone to convert to Christ in their youth before they become an old curmudgeon. Most times older people are too set in their ways and ready for the fate they believe awaits them. As much as this is true in conversions, the same is true in other walks of life, such as marriage. The older you are, the more set you are in your ways, and the harder it is change. Of course, that doesn’t get us off the hook if we are older when we get married. God doesn’t allow excuses. We all, in all areas of life, at all times, must be willing to change and not have our way in order to make relationships and such work. The same is true with our relationship with God. God has so much to teach us, and it is best to learn as a youth, but we can’t become complacent or too self-assured when we get older. God is unchanging, his principles are unchanging, but the application of His principles may change in His Church, and we must be ready.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
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Used by permission." (http://www.lockman.org/)