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 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,980 Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge, 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 4, and we'll be 5 00:00:22,070 --> 00:00:27,530 Speaker 1: reading from the contemporary English version. I looked again and 6 00:00:27,590 --> 00:00:32,140 Speaker 1: saw people being mistreated everywhere on earth. They were crying, 7 00:00:32,420 --> 00:00:35,290 Speaker 1: but no one was there to offer comfort, and those 8 00:00:35,330 --> 00:00:40,150 Speaker 1: who mistreated them were powerful. I said to myself, The 9 00:00:40,190 --> 00:00:42,850 Speaker 1: dead are better off than the living, but those who 10 00:00:42,890 --> 00:00:45,990 Speaker 1: have never been born are better off than anyone else 11 00:00:46,409 --> 00:00:50,300 Speaker 1: because they have never seen the terrible things that happen 12 00:00:50,540 --> 00:00:54,340 Speaker 1: on this earth. Then I realized that we work and 13 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: do wonderful things just because we are jealous of others. 14 00:00:58,670 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: This makes no more sense than chasing the wind. Fools 15 00:01:03,020 --> 00:01:06,500 Speaker 1: will fold their hands and starve to death. Yet a 16 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,340 Speaker 1: very little food eaten in peace is better than twice 17 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,740 Speaker 1: as much earned from overwork and chasing the wind. Once again, 18 00:01:15,860 --> 00:01:19,419 Speaker 1: I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. For example, 19 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,339 Speaker 1: some people don't have friends or family, but they are 20 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,779 Speaker 1: never satisfied with what they own and they never stop 21 00:01:26,860 --> 00:01:31,410 Speaker 1: working to get more. They should ask themselves, why am 22 00:01:31,510 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: I always working to have more? Who will get what 23 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: I leave behind? What a senseless and miserable life. You 24 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,620 Speaker 1: are better off to have a friend than to be 25 00:01:43,819 --> 00:01:47,780 Speaker 1: all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out 26 00:01:47,820 --> 00:01:51,270 Speaker 1: of what you earn. If you fall, your friend can 27 00:01:51,310 --> 00:01:53,990 Speaker 1: help you up. But if you fall without having a 28 00:01:54,050 --> 00:01:58,970 Speaker 1: friend nearby, you are really in trouble. If you sleep alone, 29 00:01:59,230 --> 00:02:01,530 Speaker 1: you won't have anyone to keep you warm on a 30 00:02:01,590 --> 00:02:05,210 Speaker 1: cold night. Someone might be able to beat up one 31 00:02:05,250 --> 00:02:08,709 Speaker 1: of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes, 32 00:02:09,350 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: a rope made from three strands of cord is hard 33 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:17,420 Speaker 1: to break. You may be poor and young, but if 34 00:02:17,460 --> 00:02:20,559 Speaker 1: you are wise, you are better off than a foolish 35 00:02:20,660 --> 00:02:25,139 Speaker 1: old king who won't listen to advice. Even if you 36 00:02:25,180 --> 00:02:27,739 Speaker 1: were not born into the royal family and have been 37 00:02:27,780 --> 00:02:32,020 Speaker 1: a prisoner and poor, you can still be king. I 38 00:02:32,139 --> 00:02:34,900 Speaker 1: once saw everyone in the world follow a young leader 39 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,540 Speaker 1: who came to power after the king was gone. His 40 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,230 Speaker 1: followers could not even be counted, but years from now, 41 00:02:42,770 --> 00:02:46,410 Speaker 1: no one will praise him. This makes no more sense 42 00:02:46,630 --> 00:02:54,490 Speaker 1: than chasing the wind. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you 43 00:02:54,530 --> 00:02:56,350 Speaker 1: for your word, and we thank you for the privilege 44 00:02:56,389 --> 00:02:58,770 Speaker 1: of being able to look at this portion of Scripture today. 45 00:02:59,210 --> 00:03:01,190 Speaker 1: We thank you for the wisdom that we have through 46 00:03:01,250 --> 00:03:04,239 Speaker 1: faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, and we thank you 47 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,820 Speaker 1: for the practical things that we could observe from what's 48 00:03:06,860 --> 00:03:10,220 Speaker 1: being spoken of in a passage like this. Lord, so 49 00:03:10,340 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 1: often we give our lives to chasing things that have 50 00:03:12,900 --> 00:03:16,260 Speaker 1: no lasting value, and yet you tell us in your 51 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:20,650 Speaker 1: word to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, but 52 00:03:20,710 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: our minds become so consumed with treasures here on this earth. Lord, 53 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,139 Speaker 1: help us to be thinking beyond our day-to-day circumstances. Help 54 00:03:29,180 --> 00:03:31,220 Speaker 1: us to be looking forward to the future that we 55 00:03:31,260 --> 00:03:33,700 Speaker 1: have in you, and help us, Lord, to be grateful 56 00:03:33,740 --> 00:03:36,620 Speaker 1: for your presence with us and your love that you've 57 00:03:36,660 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: displayed to us in your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we're 58 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,620 Speaker 1: grateful for all of these things. We thank you for 59 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: your love, and we commit this day to your care, 60 00:03:45,220 --> 00:03:48,590 Speaker 1: and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.