READING FOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2025: ECCLESIASTES 1, ACTS 3, PSALM 94:12-23 ECCLESIASTES 1 This writer remembers reading Ecclesiastes as a youth and wondering why such a depressing book was in the Bible. Years later a preacher explained the interpretive key, which made the book totally relevant to our time in history. It is the repeated use (more than 25 times) of the phrase “under the sun.” This means living life from merely an earthly perspective, what is called a naturalistic or atheistic worldview. Suddenly no book in the Bible had more useful insights.
The author of the book self identifies as the son of David, the king, and the preacher—in other words Solomon. He sums up the main theme at the beginning: if there is no God, then life is pointless. Yes, we work hard, but do we know if it has had any lasting benefit beyond our lifetimes? We are quickly passing from the scene and will be totally forgotten in a couple generations. The seasons come and go and nothing really changes because we have lived. In fact, our carbon footprint is just making the environment worse.
Solomon had all the power, knowledge, and wealth that could be acquired in the world. If he thought “life under the sun” was pointless, how can we hope to experience anything else? He offers a rather edgy view with which this writer (a college teacher and former administrator) agrees: all learning “under the sun” alone has limited value, other than making money per- haps. The absence of God means that meaning, love, nobility and morality are not grounded in ultimate reality. Or as philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche put it: “Truths are illusions which we have forgotten are illusions — they are metaphors that have become worn out.” But, what if there is life beyond the sun?
ACTS 3 Peter has been the top spokesperson so far for Jesus in the days since the resurrection. John may have been the disciple whom Jesus loved and the writer of a gospel, three epistles, and Revelation. Both are accomplished spiritual leaders. What was part of their secret? We see they had a regular time of prayer each day—seemingly joining other believers. Although they were enroute to a time of prayer, they still allowed themselves to be delayed by a person in need. Ever wonder how to deal with people asking for money? Here they looked intently at the panhandler and asked for his attention in return. That’s unusual in itself. Then Peter addressed the man’s underlying need that caused his financial problem: his disability. Maybe we aren’t brave enough to tell someone to walk who has never walked before, but perhaps we
READING GUIDE FOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2025 CONTINUED: ACTS 3, PSALM 94:12-23
can take time with those asking for money to see if there is a way to empower the beggar as Peter did, rather than only give money or ignore the person.
This spectacular healing drew a crowd. Peter took advantage of this opportunity, as he did with the tongues event, to share the Gospel of Jesus. We need to pray for and be ready to seize any opportunity to tell others about Jesus. Peter cleverly tied the man’s healing to having faith in Jesus, although he doesn’t clarify if it was Peter’s faith or the man’s. Peter made some essential points that all of us need to be certain we understand. First, all of us are born sinners and need to repent. Those who claim most people are innately good are not expressing the Gospel! Since Peter was speaking to a devout Jewish audience, he stressed that all the prophets spoke about Jesus being sent from heaven to die for our sins. In this case Peter quoted from Deuteronomy 18:18-19: “I will raise up for them a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him. And it shall come about that whoever does not listen to My words which he speaks in My name, I Myself will require it of him. Here are Peter’s final points: the prophets said Jesus would come. Jesus came to wipe out the sins of the people. He rose, reigns above, and sent His refreshing Spirit to earth. If we don’t listen to Him and receive Him as Savoir and Lord, we will all be judged.
PSALM 94:12-23 It’s hard to know at the time if we are undergoing God’s discipline (vs.12), so that we can consider it a blessing. Does anyone else feel that way? Maybe it’s easier to identify and express thankfulness in retrospect, after the discipline is over. Olympics athletes might have it easier on that point. Those folks must be disciplined to achieve greatness. How much more when the stakes are far higher: spiritual maturity. Notice that the Psalmist promises a blessing from learning the Bible (vs. 12). Those who stick with it can vouch that it’s true. The Psalmist is confident that God will not abandon His people (vs. 14). How can we know this, especially as our bodies appear to be falling apart with each passing day? Again, this is one of the blessings of studying the Bible. We can be assured that our resurrected body is on order and the constant presence of the Lord will soon be our experience. We can also see the sweep of thousands of years of history to know that God has defeated evil at the cross and will completely secure His victory when He comes again. Plus, he allows us to be on His winning team. In verse 17, the Psalmist explores a thought experiment: Imagine where we would be now if the Lord had not been our helper through life. That’s a great exercise that we should all try. It should lead to overwhelming thanksgivings for the past and utmost hope for the future.
