Monday May 28th

Nearsighted is defined as: "unable to see things clearly unless they are relatively close to the eyes. Not having a clear focus of things far away." 

How often do you suffer from spiritual nearsightedness?  You know what that is!  The inability to see beyond the here and now (focused on earthly things) and not having a clear focus on the eternal, which seem so far away and far removed from where we are now?

When I read through today's reading it was very depressing and hopeless at times.  It definitely had some observations based on Solomon's spiritual nearsightedness:

Everything is meaningless
There is nothing new under the sun
What was will be again
Man has no advantage over the animal – all come from dust and all will return to dust
What's the advantage of being wise, the same fate awaits both the fool and the wise which is death.
Both the wise and fool will be forgotten – the memory of both forgotten
The hearts of man are full of evil
Man is trapped by evil times

These verses are a far cry from the spiritually uplifting verses of the Psalms.  But at the end of today's reading Solomon put's on his spiritual glasses of wisdom and brings his heart into clear focus of what is not always so easy to see.

"When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth – his eyes not seeing sleep day or night – then I saw all that God had done.  No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun.  Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning.  Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it. "  Ecclesiastes 8:16-17

That word applied means: " To bring into nearness or contact with something."  So, Solomon brought near wisdom to see clearly what is beyond the here and now.  He was correcting his spiritual vision.

When we choose to put on our spiritual glasses, crafted from wisdom found through the Holy Spirit, and we look beyond ourselves and the here and now we begin to perceive how life and its meaning is bigger then we are.  It is beyond what our finite (nearsighted) minds can comprehend.  This vision, wisdom, requires faith in the one who created all things with a plan and a purpose.  What it offers us is a clear vision of hope in a seemingly meaningless world and the way for us to live through it.

"Anyone among the living has hope." Ecc 9:4 (Jer 29:11).  Eternal hope
"The righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands." Ecc. 9:1 (Ps. 31:15)
There is "Nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work." Ecc 3:22
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it w/ all your might Ecc 9:10 (Col 3:23-24)
"It is now (while living) that God favors what you do." Ecc 9:7 (grace given)

When life starts to feel a bit over cast with overwhelming circumstances, when difficulties and challenges start to block our eternal view, when situations don't make sense (when they are blurry), remember to take a spiritual vision test. Remember to make sure that you put on your spiritual glasses (wisdom) by seeking God who has you in his hands, is ready to pour out his favor upon you and who wants to remind you of the hope that awaits you once you finally make it back home, your eternal heavenly home with your father who loves you.  Once your glasses are firmly in place and God has given you wisdom and power then go face each day with clarity, focus, strength, and joy knowing that this "meaningless nearsighted" world is just a stepping stone to an eternity of splendor and glory with the author and perfect of our nearsightedness, our Faith.