Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 9-12
Ecclesiastes 11:6
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
The meandering mind of Solomon is gradually gravitating toward his great conclusion. Before the unexpected climax of his sermon, he begins a section of practicalities. One such practical point to ponder is found in today’s verse. Herein is found an excellent maxim for success in any endeavor. Whether it is utilized in a marriage, church, business, sports team, country or individual life this strategy of Solomon will work, for it guarantees success in practical life matters.
That strategy is the strategy of using various strategies. Consider selling a product. Being a professional sales representative is either the highest paid hard job or the lowest paid easy job there is. One of the most difficult things about sales is the high rate of rejection one will experience. But the successful salesperson knows that sowing the seed of prospecting for potential buyers is vital to future success. They, the successful ones, will sow their seed in the morning and in the evening. They try this, they try that, and then they try something else, they sow the seed of prospecting for new business everywhere, at all times, and in various ways. Direct mailings, cold calling, cultivating leads from current customers, providing unpaid services of continued education, even sponsoring certain events and attending conferences all are ways of cultivating new leads for future sales. These take work, thought, planning and more work. They also know that the strategies that work today may not work tomorrow, and the strategies that do not work today may work tomorrow. Therefore, they consistently work all strategies of various types.
This strategy of employing other strategies is the opposite of the “put all your eggs in one basket” approach, which is the strategy that most employ. It may be “that is the way we’ve always done it”, pride, or laziness, or a combination of all those thoughts, but this idea of only trying one way to bring in new business is short sighted at best and altogether incompetent at worst. In an effort to gain new ground, step up a little higher, become more productive, and create an edge against failure, employ Solomon’s strategy of using various strategies.
As the book of Ecclesiastes draws to a close. Notice the second to the last verse. This is the conclusion of the whole matter. Solomon has proven that in this earth only, all is vanity. What then is a person to do? Solomon answers emphatically: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Do this in the morning, do this in the evening, do this all day and all night, all life long, for this is the whole duty of man. The world will clamor for a person to believe they must do more, be more, have more, and produce more, but in reality, in light of eternity, all a person must do is learn to relate properly to Almighty God and live in light of His Word. All else, absent of that, is vanity. For as soon as the last breath is drawn, when this life ends, another one begins. In that next life all that has been accomplished in this life will be evaluated by Him who gives all life. From now until then, sow thy seed of faith in Him in the morning, in the evening, and all times in between. For in the end this will not bring vanity but rather eternal rewards. It is like casting your bread upon the waters and yet finding it many days later. Just as Solomon advises.
Dr. William T. Howe
Comentários