00:05Trusting God Through Tough Times
00:07The Old Testament is a true story about God's faithfulness to his people, the Israelites,
00:13even though they repeatedly failed to be faithful in return.
00:17For instance, after God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, they kept finding
00:23reasons to complain.
00:25They didn't like the food, they were afraid of other nations, rather than trusting that
00:29the one true God was with them.
00:32So God made an interesting choice.
00:35He had them wander around the desert for forty years, until they could learn to trust him.
00:41Can you imagine?
00:42Four decades.
00:43During this time, God didn't share his forty-year itinerary with the Israelites.
00:49He led them one day at a time, sending a cloud before them by day and a pillar of fire
00:55by
00:55night.
00:55Once the Israelites settled in the Promised Land, they commemorated their time of wandering
01:01by celebrating the Feast of Booths, referring to the tents they traveled around in.
01:06And during the Feast of Booths, the Israelites would read Ecclesiastes.
01:12Ecclesiastes asks one big question, what actually matters?
01:16If life is a tedious progression of ever-changing seasons and circumstances, what should we do
01:23with the time that we have?
01:24And how can we find meaning even in the slow days?
01:28This book is read during the Feast of Booths because it reflects the questions the older
01:33Israelites must have asked themselves as they wandered through the desert.
01:37If they knew they were just going to walk around for forty years and then die without entering
01:43the Promised Land, what was the point?
01:46The end of Ecclesiastes answers this question.
01:49Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
01:55The older generation had one duty, to teach the younger generation God's commandments so
02:01that they would be able to follow him with their whole hearts when they were given the
02:05promised land. We're not promised lives full of excitement or even days that feel meaningful.
02:11However, God has still revealed to us how to live a life that matters.
02:16We receive God's love, and then we extend his love to others.
02:21We are freed by God's forgiveness, and then we strive to be peacemakers.
02:26We rejoice in God's blessings, and then we use our privilege to ensure everyone has a seat
02:32at the table. In every boring, tedious, or painfully slow moment we've been given,
02:37we have an opportunity to orient our lives toward God. That is how we live a life of meaning.
02:44Reflection
02:45Good things like homemade bread often require slow, intentional work.
02:50What is one area of your life that feels boring but has the potential to be beautiful?
02:56Take a moment to pray about what God reveals, and come back tomorrow to continue the discussion
03:02about what to do when life gets hard.
