Jump Start # 867

Ecclesiastes 12:1 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”

Our passage today is one of the famous verses from Ecclesiastes. The last chapter ended with some thoughts about youth. There Solomon said to “Rejoice” during your childhood and to “remove” grief and anger from your heart. Our passage begins with the third “R” – Rejoice, Remove and now, Remember.

Two thoughts here.

First, before one can remember, there must be something to remember. Remember your Creator. The plea is to recognize as a young person the work of God. He is the Creator. Remembering God will help a young person. It will help form and build the character that is responsible, serving and godly. Remembering God will help in making wise choices. Remembering God will help keep a young person from trouble.

I am teaching a class about the life of Joseph. He was a young man who had a “God-awareness” about him. When tempted sexually, Joseph thought of God. When asked to interpret dreams, he knew that only God could do that. When his pitiful brothers showed up needing grain, he was in the position to even the score, but he didn’t. He recognized that God had put him there to save his family. It seems every step of the way he was aware of God. That awareness kept him pure. That awareness kept bitterness and hatred from dominating his life.

It helps a young person to remember God when everyone else in the house is remembering God, as well. Remembering God on your drive to work and at your office today will help you. It will lead you to saying several quick prayers throughout the day. It will help you fight lust and greed. It will help you be a person of principle and integrity. Remembering God at home is important. No trash talking the members. No gossip. No bad words. No bad shows. A prayer at the table. Helpful. Insightful. Forgiving. Love. Those principles are found in families that walk with God.

Second, Solomon says “evil days come.” I’m not sure what Solomon has in mind, unless he is generalizing the ugly experiences of life that many of us witness. Childhood seems sweet and innocent. Days are spent with playing and naps and Disney shows and smiles and singing and laughter. Children laugh a lot more than adults do. Children do not grasp terrorism, murder, prejudice and meanness. There comes a point in life when you recognize this. We live with this and possibly this is why we don’t laugh much any more. The world isn’t so sweet and funny. It’s sick and broken. There is a lot of pain in families and in hearts. Evil days come. Evil days affect us. We can’t run from evil days. We can’t hide from evil days.

Our verse ends with this solemn statement, “I have no delight in them.” No delight in days. No delight in life. No delight in God. These are the words of a sour person. Life has slapped them and they are bitter and angry. They spend the day being grumpy and complaining. They see no blessings to count. They see no God to thank. They are waiting for life to end. There is nothing to look forward to. They have “no delight in them.”

Do you know anyone like this? It’s hard being around them. They are like spilled milk. They are a mess. Nothing is good. Everything and everybody is against them.

It seems that Solomon has a connection between the first part and the last part of this verse. The “remembering your Creator in the days of your youth” has a bearing upon “having no delight in them.” The bridge is God. The connection to enjoying life is through God. God has been good to us. He has blessed us, watched over us, opened doors for us, brought people into our lives, offered forgiveness and guided us. Seeing that. Following Him. Thanking Him. Obeying Him. That all changes life. It changes how we view life. It helps us with the evil that comes. God is a reason to live and participate in life.

The person who has followed God for a long time delights in each day. Each day is a gift. Each day is special. There may be more Wednesdays, but no other Wednesdays just like today. It is special. Delight that you can enjoy it. Delight that you can share God with others.

I have said for a long time, the way you start the day often determines how you end the day.  The way you start life often determines how you end life. A young person who doesn’t care about God, will fill his life with things that are not good. He may end the journey with no delight. It’s sad to see someone in their 80’s or 90’s who has no awareness of God. That has shaped their outlook, thinking and attitude. They have lived a lifetime of nothing. They have lived only for self. Now, at the end of the journey, they sit alone with nothing.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Remember is the key. Remember now. Remember who God is. Remember what He stands for . Remember what He has done. Remember BEFORE…Remember before it’s too late!

Roger