Reading With the People of God #14 Purposeഉദാഹരണം

Welcome to Part 14 of Reading with the People of God

In this part of our journey, we’re diving into a powerful mix of wisdom and gospel letters—Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and 1 & 2 Timothy. These books invite us to reflect deeply on the questions that shape us:

What is life really about? Who are we becoming? What is our purpose in Christ?

As we read, we’ll be exploring how God reveals purpose in the midst of every season—through joy and struggle, love and loss, calling and correction. Whether it’s the raw reflections of Ecclesiastes or Paul’s passionate letters to the early churches, each book helps us see that our purpose is found not in ourselves, but in Christ who gives all things meaning.

Our prayer is that as you engage with the written Word, the living Word—Jesus—will meet you through the Holy Spirit, revealing truth, stirring purpose, and forming you in His image.

So open your Bible each day ready not just to read, but to be renewed—called again into the life of purpose God has for you.

An Introduction to Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes, one of the Wisdom Books, is said to read like a sermon. The Latin word, ecclesiastes, comes from the Greek word for preacher. The Preacher, widely accepted as Solomon, chooses a theme: What is the Chief Good? He then proceeds to follow that idea with the observations of natural man and what can be known under the sun. The Preacher wonders if meaning and satisfaction can be found in the world through intense study and searching or through experiences. A key word in the book is vanity; it speaks to the futility and emptiness of trying to find a fulfilled life through natural pursuits.

Natural man cannot see beyond the horizon, beyond the grave, but surely there is more. Then the Preacher begins to turn us to see that under heaven there is more to be learned, more to be pursued, more to be appreciated. We are encouraged to look for God in the everyday, the ordinary, and acknowledge Him. We are encouraged to understand that even the small things are gifts from God, and the only way to truly find significance in this life is to recognize that our response to God is the key.

In Ecclesiastes, the Preacher offers two options: the way of the world or the way of faith. The Preacher encourages us to embrace our creator early in life, not to waste time in following the pursuits of the world. He strives to show that the way of faith is the path toward wisdom and joy.

* Introduction contributed by Jinet Troost