WEBVTT - Ecclesiastes 4

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

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<v Speaker 1>to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge,

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<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 4, and we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>reading from the contemporary English version. I looked again and

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<v Speaker 1>saw people being mistreated everywhere on earth. They were crying,

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<v Speaker 1>but no one was there to offer comfort, and those

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<v Speaker 1>who mistreated them were powerful. I said to myself, The

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<v Speaker 1>dead are better off than the living, but those who

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<v Speaker 1>have never been born are better off than anyone else

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<v Speaker 1>because they have never seen the terrible things that happen

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<v Speaker 1>on this earth. Then I realized that we work and

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<v Speaker 1>do wonderful things just because we are jealous of others.

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<v Speaker 1>This makes no more sense than chasing the wind. Fools

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<v Speaker 1>will fold their hands and starve to death. Yet a

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<v Speaker 1>very little food eaten in peace is better than twice

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<v Speaker 1>as much earned from overwork and chasing the wind. Once again,

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<v Speaker 1>I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. For example,

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<v Speaker 1>some people don't have friends or family, but they are

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<v Speaker 1>never satisfied with what they own and they never stop

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<v Speaker 1>working to get more. They should ask themselves, why am

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<v Speaker 1>I always working to have more? Who will get what

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<v Speaker 1>I leave behind? What a senseless and miserable life. You

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<v Speaker 1>are better off to have a friend than to be

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<v Speaker 1>all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out

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<v Speaker 1>of what you earn. If you fall, your friend can

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<v Speaker 1>help you up. But if you fall without having a

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<v Speaker 1>friend nearby, you are really in trouble. If you sleep alone,

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<v Speaker 1>you won't have anyone to keep you warm on a

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<v Speaker 1>cold night. Someone might be able to beat up one

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<v Speaker 1>of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes,

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<v Speaker 1>a rope made from three strands of cord is hard

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<v Speaker 1>to break. You may be poor and young, but if

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<v Speaker 1>you are wise, you are better off than a foolish

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<v Speaker 1>old king who won't listen to advice. Even if you

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<v Speaker 1>were not born into the royal family and have been

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<v Speaker 1>a prisoner and poor, you can still be king. I

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<v Speaker 1>once saw everyone in the world follow a young leader

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<v Speaker 1>who came to power after the king was gone. His

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<v Speaker 1>followers could not even be counted, but years from now,

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<v Speaker 1>no one will praise him. This makes no more sense

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<v Speaker 1>than chasing the wind. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for your word, and we thank you for the privilege

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<v Speaker 1>of being able to look at this portion of Scripture today.

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<v Speaker 1>We thank you for the wisdom that we have through

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<v Speaker 1>faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the practical things that we could observe from what's

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<v Speaker 1>being spoken of in a passage like this. Lord, so

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<v Speaker 1>often we give our lives to chasing things that have

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<v Speaker 1>no lasting value, and yet you tell us in your

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<v Speaker 1>word to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, but

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<v Speaker 1>our minds become so consumed with treasures here on this earth. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>help us to be thinking beyond our day-to-day circumstances. Help

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<v Speaker 1>us to be looking forward to the future that we

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<v Speaker 1>have in you, and help us, Lord, to be grateful

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<v Speaker 1>for your presence with us and your love that you've

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<v Speaker 1>displayed to us in your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we're

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<v Speaker 1>grateful for all of these things. We thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>your love, and we commit this day to your care,

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<v Speaker 1>and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.