Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days

This verse from Ecclesiastes 11:1 caught my attention this morning from “Daily readings”. The reference is said to the element of trust (cast your bread) needed in commercial voyages of ships (on the waters). The commitment has to be total (once cast, the bread, often the complete livelihood as in the Merchant of Venice, is gone). The verse contains a promise (you will find), but requires great patience (after many days). Much of this from Tyndale Commentaries!

Solomon the preacher and the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes, under the influence of the Spirit of God (2 Peter 1:21), was forever finding life lessons from things in the natural. We would do well to follow his example and allow life and the Spirit to teach us. He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying (Revelation 2:29) in and through his or her circumstances. And it does need to be Holy Spirit who is speaking, you know the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13), the very one who is behind the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16). The natural man learns things too (2 Timothy 3:7), but the spiritual person discerns what is from the Lord and what is not (1 Corinthians 1:15).

And I am wondering this morning exactly why the Lord highlighted this verse for me this morning, and for you if you are reading this. In particular, is He preparing me or you for some decision or action He might be calling us to make, or is He reminding us of the need for patience as we wait for the fulfillment of things He has promised? Or is it perhaps both? What is the Spirit saying to you through all this, this morning? I have the sense, that He speaks a lot more than we hear, even to those of us who have ears!

Speak Lord, Your servant is listening (1 Samuel 3:10; Psalm 46:10)!