Corona Devo 1245

Enjoying a supper together with my brother and sister-in-law the other night, they shared the news that the pond in their back yard has inexplicably had a lot of fish die in it recently.  A lot of fish. 

Their description of hundreds of dead fish floating and their (large and small) fish bodies gathering on shore made everyone at the dinner table sad.  

They have no idea why it occurred, and of course I don't either.   We moved on in conversation, and (we concluded) what can you do?  

But when they left for the evening and the topic came up once more, we decided that the (dead) fish are a good reminder to us that tomorrow isn't promised.  

We should live today.  

We should live for Christ today.  

We should choose/decide/join-God's-plan-for us to be happy in the work that God has given us today, because fish aren't the only ones that go belly-up.  We have this (one) life, and it moves quickly.    

We hugged and went our separate ways, but our supper together (fun!) coupled with the reminder of life's brevity had impressed an (unwritten) life lesson on my heart about living today and living for Christ today.

And then the next morning I had a written lesson about it:

 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. (19) For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! (20) Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. (21) For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 

(22) So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die.  ~Ecclesiastes 3:18-22

Equating our condition to animals seems a slightly condescending comparison, but when I evaluate why I feel that way, it boils down to pride.  We think we are superior to animals, but God blessed us with our abilities and capabilities (cognitive included), and He created the animals with their abilities.  All of what we are/what a horse or fish is/and what a fern or evergreen is...is of God.    

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (16) For in him all things were created... all things have been created through him and for him. (17) He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  ~Colossians 1:15-17

Whether we "feel" superior to a fish (or anyone else in our lives) or not, our fates will be the same one day.  
So--how are we "swimming" today?  How are we working today?  Choose happy.

So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die.  ~Ecclesiastes 3:22

Lord, help us to live today.   Father, enable, encourage, inspire us to live for YOU today.  We praise You for Your Word and the truths it teaches us.  Enable us to choose to be happy in the work that YOU give us today.  Amen.    

Blessings, 

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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