Sip #1 – Read Chapter 8 of Ecclesiastes in the New Century Version (NCV)
Sip #2 – Read my big takeaway from the day
Sip #3 – Add comments/thoughts/questions in the Comments Box (bottom of page). NOT REQUIRED
Sip #4 – Re-read any parts of Chapter 8 that impacted you
Sip #5 – Come back tomorrow as we wrestle Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9

Cheers on another Thirsty Thursday! May your coffee be bold, large, and enough to get you to your mid-morning coffee!

A LOT to cover today, so let’s dig into Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8… Check out verse 11. I hope this one challenges you as much as it did me today…

“When evil people are not punished right away, it makes others want to do evil, too.”

This is a tricky one. I think of justice, and, specifically, I think of my justice versus God’s justice, and, I fear, it’s two different things. I can’t find the source, but this is a powerful quote that aligns with my thoughts… “Man’s godless ingratitude is as deep a mystery as is God’s loving patience. It is strange that, with such constant failure of His love to win, God should still persevere in it.” In other words… we do not understand the difference between God’s grace… justice… mercy… and patience. We thoroughly understand our own, but not His.

The Second Book of Peter could not be clearer… Chapter 3:8-9… “…do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” There is no such thing as…