WITHHOLD NOT YOUR HAND Ecclesiastes 7

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.15 In my vain[c] life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

23 All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

25 I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

DENY YOURSELF WRITTEN BY LISA FLEET

JESUS  TOLD ME ,MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE, FOR HE HAS SET ME FREE
HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE SAVED ;THE LORD IS THE ONE
I PRAISE; JESUS IS NO SIN SO THIS IS A WIN WIN ; I PRAISE HIM ALL DAY HE IS
MY CLOSEST FRIEND. MY GOD DIED ON THE CROSS SO THAT I MAY BE SAVED
GOD GAVE HIS ONLY SON BECAUSE HE AND JESUS ARE ONE;DENY YOURSELF
AND FOLLOW HIM AND PUT AWAY YOUR SIN.JESUS IS OUR GUIDE  TO LEAD US
FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT. WITH HIM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR HE IS
MY STRENGTH. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR IGNORE YOU AS OTHERS DO.
WHEN YOU CALL ON HIM HE WILL ANSWER AND RESPOND WHEN IT IS HIS WILL
HOLD ONTO THE LORD AND JUST BE STILL.

I AM CONVINCED THAT THE LORD IS MY SAVIOR WRITTEN BY LISA FLEET

WHEN I LAY DOWN TO SLEEP ; THE LORD WATCHES OVER ME
WHEN I PRAY< PRAY AND PRAY THE LORD ANSWERS ME AND SAVES ME
WHEN I CALL OUT HIS NAME ; THE LORD GUIDES ME ALONG THE THE WAY
WHEN I SPEAK HIS NAME HE HEARS MY PLEA: HE KNOWS MY NAME
HE KNOWS EVERY HAIR ON MY HEAD; HE KEEP ME FROM DAY TO DAY
I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR MY LORD IS KING OF KINGS
HE KNOWS MY WEAKNESSES AND YET HE STILL LOVE ME ANYWAY
I AM NOT PERFECT FOR NOONE IS BUT HE; YET HE SAVES ME THROUGH HIS BLOOD
HE IS WITH ME THROUGH THE STORM AND THROUGH THE RAIN
I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL BECAUSE JESUS REMAINS THE SAME

Ecclesiastes 7 English Standard Version (ESV) The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly

The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly

A good name is better than precious ointment,

    and the day of death than the day of birth.

It is better to go to the house of mourning

    than to go to the house of feasting,

for this is the end of all mankind,

    and the living will lay it to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter,

    for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

    but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise

    than to hear the song of fools.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,

    so is the laughter of the fools;

    this also is vanity.[a]

Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,

    and a bribe corrupts the heart.

Ecclesiastes 6 English Standard Version (ESV) IT COMES IN VANITY AND GOES IN DARKNESS

6 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;[a] it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy[b] no good—do not all go to the one place?

7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.[c] 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain[d] life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

AND HE IS FATHER OF A SON Ecclesiastes 5 English Standard Version (ESV)

13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment[h] in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

Ecclesiastes 5 English Standard Version (ESV) FEAR GOD GUARD YOUR STEPS

5 [a] Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 [b] Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.

4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you[c] into sin, and do not say before the messenger[d] that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;[e] but[f] God is the one you must fear.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.[g]

10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.