Dear BAGBR Church,  

 

Ecclesiastes 9: 11, "I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability, for time and chance overtake them all."

 

In every generation we look at various groups of people and determine who we think are being successful and "winning" at life.  The writer noted them: the swift (of foot), the warrior, the wise, the discerning, and those of exceptional ability.  All of these at points in life seemed to excel, but this was not sustainable to that level throughout their life.  Time (age) and chance (circumstances beyond their control) catch up with them, and they begin to lose a step, lose their edge, lose their strength, lose their health, lose their mind, and eventually lose their life.  In their season of success, wealth, and fame, there is the illusion that these will always be, BUT they will not!

 

We must live our life with two things in mind: reality and eternity!  The fact of "Reality" is that age catches up with us no matter how fast we think we can run, it will run us down and then run over us! "Eternity" instructs us that what we do and how we live in life must have higher purposes than power, position, wealth, and fame.  Instead, we must obey Christ (the Gospel) and serve Him in whatever we do, whatever our calling might be.  When Reality catches up with us, Eternity trumps it.  A life that honors God will result in His reward in heaven where time and chance cannot go.  Take all of those categories above and yield them to the One who is overall, for all of time and eternity.  

 

When that season comes when we begin to "lose" things, be reassured that you have treasure reserved in heaven (Matt. 6: 19-21) to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefined and will not fade away (1 Peter 1: 4).