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LET GO - LET GOD!

ECCLESIASTES 6:10-12

Imagine a tall, mighty oak tree contending with a reed. The conversation might go like this. "Look at me you tiny little reed. Look how strong I am! And you, you are nothing. The slightest wind causes you to bend. The slightest pressure upon you causes you to sway. But I, the mighty oak tree am strong, invincible." In all the boasting and put-downs that sprang from this mighty oak tree, the reed said nothing.

Then one day a violent storm arouse. The wind blew furiously. The poor, frail reed bent back and forth, this way and that way. As the storm blew by and the winds faded, the reed stood undamaged by this storm. But, the mighty oak tree, unwilling to bend, the one who resisted, was broken by the storm.

Many times, we as Christians, refuse to bend, surrender our lives to God, and as the storms of life pass by, we are left broken. Instead of being directed by God, we stand tall, proud, like the mighty oak tree, resisting what God is doing, and our lives become a broken mess. We need to learn from the reed, for in his weakness, he was strong. We need to bend to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is as Pastor Chuck has said, "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken."

In Ecclesiastes chapter 6, that is what Solomon is speaking of, the providence of God and man surrendering his life to God. So lets turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 6, and begin reading this morning in verse 10.

ECCLESIASTES 6:10-12

"Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.

Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better?

For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?"

Now Solomon, looking at life "under the sun" or apart from God, has a perspective that many saved and even unsaved people have. It is as the old Doris Day song goes "Que, sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. The futures not ours to see. Que, sera, sera!"

Now some will stand-up against this, try to fight it with all their might. While others will just accept what life has dealt them, not resisting it or fighting against it, but just taking one day at a time. To tell you the truth, apart from God, both these views are wrong! There needs to be a balance in our life, and this morning we are going to look at the frailty of a man who contends with God and the strength of a man who submits to the leading of God, forging ahead in the battle.

In this portion of Scripture we are going to look at 3 points that come out of our text this morning. The first is GOD IS IN CONTROL! Secondly, we are going to look at CONTENDING WITH GOD! And the third point is THE CONCLUSION OF LIFE! And so lets see what we can glean from these to help us in our walk with God, drawing us closer to Him.

1. GOD IS IN CONTROL! ECCLESIASTES 6:10a

"Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man."

Man has a tendency to elevate himself to a place of power, of honor. But when you read the Scriptures, you get a completely different picture. The Amplified Bible will show you what I mean regarding this verse in Ecclesiastes. It reads "Whatever [man] is, he has been named that long ago, and it is known that it is man [Adam]."

Do you get the point that Solomon is making here? Our name is a witness to our frailty! The Hebrew "Adam" means man, of the ground. In other words, man, who thinks he is so strong, is made up of nothing more than the dust of the earth! You see, we are a created being, created by God, who is eternal and is in control.

It is this same God who created us, that knows all we will do in life, He knew it before we were even born. David, in Psalm 139 speaks of this. Beginning in verse 13 David speaks of God creating him in his mothers womb. He said "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them." Psalm 139:13-16.

Notice that God not only created David, but also had his life all written out before David was born. And factored into that equation is man's free will, that God saw all our successes and failures and has used them for His ultimate purpose, His ultimate plan. Nothing done by man will catch God by surprise. He knows all, the beginning from the end and all that is in between.

In Psalm 33 we are given a picture of God looking down upon man and all that he is doing. In verse 13 we read "The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works." Psalm 33:13-16. It is interesting that people think they can hide their evil from God or feel that there are no consequences to their actions. How wrong they are. God understands what they are doing and why they are doing it, in fact He knows what they are going to do before they ever do it.

Now for those that want to see God just leave them alone, not be involved with our lives any more. Big mistake. In Colossians 1:16-17 we read "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." If God just let go, there truly would be a big bang, for He is the one holding everything together. And think about it. What happens in a atomic bomb? The atomic particles are released and you get a huge explosion. If God let go you would get an explosion that would melt the earth. Without Him we would not continue or consist.

Now you can act outside of the will of God, but not outside of His plan. The religious leaders of Jesus' day thought the same. They could not accept Jesus, being a man, as being God. It didn't matter that He was fulfilling the prophecy's that were made of the Messiah. He did not fit into their preconceived ideas, and thus, He must be put to death for His good deeds. You see, Jesus was gathering a following and these religious leaders saw their positions of authority being removed.

Notice what we read in John chapter 11, beginning in verse 47. We read "Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, 'What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.' And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.' Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death." John 11:47-53.

In their actions to put to death the Son of God, even though they thought they were serving God, they actually were fighting against Him. And still, in their rebellion against God, they were fulfilling the plan of God. You see, God has a plan, and He will even use man's rebellion to fulfill His plan, just as He uses Satan's rebellion to accomplish His ultimate plan.

This truly speaks of the providence of God in our life. And providence, a word that is not used much today, speaks of God's continual care that He is exercising over the universe He has created. HE IS IN CONTROL!

2. CONTENDING WITH GOD! ECCLESIASTES 6:10b-11

"And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.

Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better?"

When a person does not want to believe or does not want to admit that God is in control, his actions will reflect his attitude, and his actions will be one of contention against God! And Solomon is speaking of the foolishness of this and how empty are its results when we try to contend with the Almighty God!

You see, we have already established that God is eternal and we are created from the dust of the earth. We don't match up too well with Almighty God. And to fight against God is just plain foolishness. Think about it. How in the world can you hope to win? And can you imagine if you did win against God, you would actually lose!

In Isaiah 45:9-10 we read "Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' Or shall your handiwork say, 'He has no hands'? Woe to him who says to his father, 'What are you begetting?' Or to the woman, 'What have you brought forth?'" The word "strives", RIV in the Hebrew, speaks of quarreling, contending, complaining. And these actions are aimed at "his Maker" or God! Now to get the full impact of this word, the idea behind it is "to seize another by the hair." And that my friends can be either in the physical, verbal or legal sense. Not a pretty picture when you think about it.

But what you are saying by your actions is you are taking control of your life, you have God by the hair, you are giving Him a tongue lashing, taking Him to court, to accomplish your will. How foolish an idea, but when we move against God, that is exactly what we are doing.

Now one of the best example of this in the Bible is seen in the life of Jacob. I am going to read this account form The Amplified Bible, because it drives home the point even more in regards to this portion of Scripture.

The situation that Jacob finds himself in is as follows. Jacob has left his uncle Laban's house after serving him some 20 years, with his wives and children that he has obtained during his stay there. He was heading back home after 20 years of being on the run from his brother Esau, whom he had deceived. And Jacob did not know what to expect, and as he is heading home he gets word that Esau is on his way to meet them, and it doesn't look like a friendly visit, for he is coming with 400 of his men.

And so, that night Jacob separated himself from everyone else and in Genesis chapter 32, beginning in verse 24, we read "And Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. And when [the Man] saw that He did not prevail against [Jacob], He touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob's thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him. Then He said, Let me go, for day is breaking. But [Jacob] said, I will not let You go unless You declare a blessing upon me. [The Man] asked him, What is your name? And [in shock of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob [supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler]! And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob [supplanter], but Israel; for you have contended and have power with God and with men and have prevailed. Then Jacob asked Him, Tell me, I pray You, what [in contrasts] is Your name? But He said, Why is it that you ask My name? And [the Angel of God declared] a blessing on [Jacob] there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [the face of God], saying, For I have seen God face to face, and my life is spared and not snatched away. And as he passed Penuel [peniel], the sun rose upon him, and he was limping because of this thigh."

Now some will read this portion of Scripture and say that we are to wrestle with God, contend with Him, fight with Him till we get what we want. In other words, don't let go till God gives in. That is foolishness. In fact, in Hosea chapter 12 we are told that Jacob wept, he was a broken man over this. You see, Jacob ended up winning because he lost!

Let me explain. Jacob, whose name means supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler was able to do it on his own. He was self-centered and self-sufficient. But now he was in trouble. He was traveling with women and children and livestock while his brother Esau was traveling with 400 men. So Jacob split up the people and animals into 2 groups thinking at least one group would still get away. Still scheming, devising plans to escape.

That night Jacob wrestles with God. And God takes Jacob and cripples him. Why? Because Jacob could no longer run away. Now he was broken and had to trust in God instead of his own schemings. Thus, God changed his name from Jacob, a name that Jacob was embarrassed to speak, to Israel, which means "God rules" or Governed by God." All of us, at various times in our life, need to be broken by God, made to feel hopeless in our strength, so that we will look to Him to be our strength. It takes us from a position of schemer, supplanter, trickster, swindler, to a life that is governed by God.

A physician was asked one day "Doctor, what is the exact significance of God's touching Jacob upon the sinew of his thigh?" He replied, "The sinew of the thigh is the strongest in the human body. A horse could scarcely tear it apart." You see, God had to break us down at the strongest part of our self-life before He can have His own way of blessing with us.

What is the thing that is holding you back from freely submitting your life to God? Is it your job, money, possessions, men, women, drugs? God wants you to let go and allow Him to rule and reign in your life. It is foolishness to strive with our Maker. He knows what is best for our life. Not only is God in control, but He wants us to submit our life to His leading.

As David said in Psalm 143:10-11, "Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name's sake! For Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble." The only way to be directed by God is to submit to His teachings, His words, and apply them into your life, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. The result of a life submitted to God is told to us in Philippians 2:13 which says "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." God is not only working in you, preparing you, but He is also preparing the work He has called you to do.

Jacob's first encounter with God was at Bethel. He took a 20 year detour before he came back to Bethel - the house of God, and was changed into a man that was now governed by God. If you are contending with God, repent and get back to the place of trust, dependence upon Him. Go back to Bethel, the house of God by drawing closer to God through His Word and His Spirit. The only good that can come out of contending with God is our brokeness, and in that broken state, we win!

3. THE CONCLUSION OF LIFE ECCLESIASTES 6:12

"For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he

passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?"

From a human perspective this is true. Our life is short, seemingly without direction, and we can't tell what is going to happen. Think about it. Can you tell me what is going to happen 10 years from now? How about 1 year from now? How about 1 hour from now? How about 1 minute from now? You see, you can't even tell me what is going to happen in the next second. We are not all-knowing, only God is.

And the great thing for me is that not only is God in control. Not only does He want to direct my life. But He also has a plan, a conclusion for my life!

Listen to the words of God to the young prophet Jeremiah. His ministry would be tough. No one would listen to him. No one would be converted by him. He would be thrown in jail for speaking the truth, for representing God. And you can easily become discouraged and doubt what God is doing or maybe you are not hearing Him correctly. But in Jeremiah chapter 1, beginning in verse 4, God encourages Jeremiah even before he takes one step into the ministry.

He says "Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations. 'Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:4-10.

Notice that God told him He has a plan for Jeremiah's life, one that was ordained before he was a twinkle in his fathers eye, before he was even formed in the womb. Now this great man of God doubted this plan of God. We would never do that, right? Jeremiah's speech maybe was not strong, he was not charismatic, and he was just a youth.

And God tells Jeremiah not to look on the outward for inwardly God would speak through him, giving him the words to say and directing him to the people he should go. It would not be an easy ministry, but it was one that God had ordained, planed and was now directing Jeremiah in. That should be a comfort to us all, for what God did in the life of Jeremiah, He is doing in our lives.

In Isaiah chapter 45, some 100 years before Cyrus, king of Persia was even born, God calls him by name and tells us how he will enter Babylon and destroy its power. I think it is hard for us to understand how God can do this, how He can know the beginning from the end. And the reason we have this difficulty is we are trying to understand the ways of God through the mind of man, and it can't be done. As God said in Isaiah 55:8-9, "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.'"

It is interesting to note that Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 7:29, "Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes." God made man perfect, without sin, in a beautiful relationship with his creator, and man tried to live outside of God, and found how foolish that was. And man is still scheming today, and yet, there is no satisfaction for the restlessness of man without God. As Augustine said, "Oh God. Thou hast formed us for thyself; and our souls can know no rest until they rest in thee."

Also, Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 8:16-17, "When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it."

You see, apart from God, you can't know the things of God. The things of God are spiritually discerned, as God speaks to us by His Spirit through His Word. If you want to know what God has for your life, come before Him and seek His face. Ask Him to show you. Now from my own walk I have found that God does not give you the whole picture but takes you one step at a time. After you take step 1 by faith, He will show you step 2, and-so-on.

One of the reasons He does this is it keeps us focused on Him and what He is doing. It helps us to trust in Him and lean upon Him. And secondly, we won't be blown away by what God is going to do in our lives. It doesn't leave room for pride to grow and cause us to fall. There is plenty of other opportunities for pride to grow in our lives, and we surely don't need any more.

Paul, in Ephesians chapter 5, said that we are to be continually being filled by the Holy Spirit. That is being led by Him, moment by moment, day by day, month by month, year by year till we come to the end of this life and enter into eternity with Him. If we do, if we allow God's Spirit to guide us, form us into the image of God, then we too will be able to say as Paul did at the end of his life, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." II Timothy 4:7-8.

We have seen this morning that God is in CONTROL. Nothing catches Him by surprise. We have seen the foolishness of CONTENDING with an all-knowing God. As I have said, you can't fight against God and win. And if you could win, you would actually lose. Let God break you of self-reliance so that you can be governed by God, as Jacob did. And lastly, we have seen that God has prepared for us the work we are to do in life. He has prepared this work long before we were even born. He has made a beginning and a CONCLUSION to our life. If we do submit to God, we will not be broken. If we don't we will be broken, with the purpose of restoring us back into a relationship with God.

If you struggle with this, and I believe we all do from time to time, let me leave you with this story to think about. It is titled:

LET GO - LET GOD!

A young man, who was struggling to let the Lord have His way in his life, knelt to pray. He had been advised to "Let God do the work for him." But as he was kneeling, he cried, "I want to let God have His way, but I can't."

The day before he had cut out of paste-board the letters "LET GOD" and tacked them on the wall. He rose from his knees and with a feeling of defeat and despair, he left the room and slammed the door with a bang, saying, "I can't 'LET GOD.'"

On his return to his room, he was startled to note that the slam of the door had loosened the letter D on the word GOD causing it to fall to the floor, and changing the motto to "LET GO."

"I will, I will, Lord Jesus," he cried and threw himself on his knees at the side of his bed. "I will 'Let go,' and 'Let God,'" and he did.

Won't you do that? Let God not only be Savior of your life, but be Lord of your life also. Let Him guide you and direct you. As Paul said in I Corinthians 2:9, "...'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'"