Thursday, November 6, 2014

Be Wise with What Has Been Given to You


"Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.  And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity." (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19)

A very successful automobile dealership was inherited by the son of the man who had built the business through hard work and wise decisions.  It wasn't long until the business went under because of the foolish decisions and "playboy" attitude of the son.

In our scripture verses Solomon knew that the time would come when he would pass from the scene and someone would inherit all the labor of his hands. He did not know whether the heir would be a wise man or a fool.

When Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam inherited the kingdom and almost immediately through bad and foolish decisions divided the kingdom, with Jeroboam taking ten tribes, becoming known as Israel, and leaving Rehoboam with two tribes, becoming known as Judah.  In time both kingdoms went into captivity because of the Godless ways of each. 

At the close of the Constitutional Convention in September, 1787, Benjamin Franklin said in response to a lady's question, "We have given you a republic, if you can keep it." Are we wise stewards of that which we have inherited?


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