1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,379 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,420 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: to the chapter a day audio Bible. I'm John Stonge 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:22,430 Speaker 1: and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 6 and we'll be 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:27,650 Speaker 1: reading from the New American Standard Bible. There is an 6 00:00:27,910 --> 00:00:30,910 Speaker 1: evil which I have seen under the sun, and it 7 00:00:30,990 --> 00:00:35,110 Speaker 1: is prevalent among men. A man to whom God has 8 00:00:35,170 --> 00:00:38,610 Speaker 1: given riches and wealth and honor, so that his soul 9 00:00:38,670 --> 00:00:42,410 Speaker 1: lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has 10 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner 11 00:00:45,900 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. If 12 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, 13 00:00:55,270 --> 00:00:59,050 Speaker 1: however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied 14 00:00:59,130 --> 00:01:01,750 Speaker 1: with good things, and he does not even have a 15 00:01:01,970 --> 00:01:06,650 Speaker 1: proper burial, then I say, better the miscarriage than he, 16 00:01:07,250 --> 00:01:11,530 Speaker 1: for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity, and 17 00:01:11,590 --> 00:01:16,389 Speaker 1: its name is covered in obscurity. It never sees the sun, 18 00:01:16,550 --> 00:01:19,990 Speaker 1: and it never knows anything. It is better off than he. 19 00:01:21,230 --> 00:01:24,530 Speaker 1: Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice, 20 00:01:24,940 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: and does not enjoy good things, do not all go 21 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,580 Speaker 1: to one place. All a man's labor is for his mouth, 22 00:01:33,780 --> 00:01:38,250 Speaker 1: and yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage 23 00:01:38,310 --> 00:01:42,390 Speaker 1: does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage 24 00:01:42,450 --> 00:01:45,790 Speaker 1: does the poor man have knowing how to walk before 25 00:01:45,850 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: the living? What the eyes see is better than what 26 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:54,460 Speaker 1: the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving 27 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,970 Speaker 1: after wind. Whatever exists has already been named, and it 28 00:02:00,060 --> 00:02:03,470 Speaker 1: is known what man is, for he cannot dispute with 29 00:02:03,530 --> 00:02:07,110 Speaker 1: him who is stronger than he is. For there are 30 00:02:07,190 --> 00:02:12,389 Speaker 1: many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage 31 00:02:12,470 --> 00:02:15,589 Speaker 1: to a man? For who knows what is good for 32 00:02:15,650 --> 00:02:18,910 Speaker 1: a man during his lifetime, during the few years of 33 00:02:18,990 --> 00:02:22,820 Speaker 1: his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. 34 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:25,980 Speaker 1: For who can tell a man what will be after 35 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:33,370 Speaker 1: him under the sun? Let's pray. Lord, we thank you 36 00:02:33,410 --> 00:02:35,850 Speaker 1: for your word. And we thank you for the wisdom 37 00:02:35,889 --> 00:02:38,530 Speaker 1: that you grant to us from your word as we 38 00:02:38,590 --> 00:02:42,130 Speaker 1: trust in your son, Jesus Christ. And Lord, we know 39 00:02:42,230 --> 00:02:45,910 Speaker 1: that Solomon, as he was writing these things, was at 40 00:02:45,950 --> 00:02:48,209 Speaker 1: a spot where he was looking at the things that 41 00:02:48,270 --> 00:02:50,710 Speaker 1: people tend to focus on in this world. And he 42 00:02:50,750 --> 00:02:54,410 Speaker 1: was realizing that the majority of people focus on things 43 00:02:54,850 --> 00:02:58,380 Speaker 1: that tend to be futile in nature. Lord, the human 44 00:02:58,460 --> 00:03:03,500 Speaker 1: mind at times becomes consumed with temporary things instead of 45 00:03:03,620 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: focusing on things that are eternal in nature. But Lord, 46 00:03:07,900 --> 00:03:10,460 Speaker 1: through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, you have given 47 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,679 Speaker 1: us new eyes and a new mind, and you allow 48 00:03:13,740 --> 00:03:17,690 Speaker 1: us to see beyond just our current circumstances. So Lord, 49 00:03:17,710 --> 00:03:19,590 Speaker 1: we pray that that would be a blessing and a 50 00:03:19,630 --> 00:03:23,149 Speaker 1: perspective that we would continue to embrace throughout the course 51 00:03:23,169 --> 00:03:25,390 Speaker 1: of our lives as we seek to be men and 52 00:03:25,450 --> 00:03:28,310 Speaker 1: women after your own heart and people who think about 53 00:03:28,380 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: the things that matter most to you. Lord, we love 54 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,019 Speaker 1: you and we're grateful for the privilege to be able 55 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,380 Speaker 1: to study your word together. Likewise, Lord, we're grateful for 56 00:03:37,460 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: your presence with us in each and every context of 57 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,910 Speaker 1: our lives. We commit this day to you, Lord, and 58 00:03:42,950 --> 00:03:45,010 Speaker 1: we thank you for your presence with us in it. 59 00:03:45,500 --> 00:03:49,130 Speaker 1: And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.