READ: ECCLESIATES
10:1-4
“Dead flies cause the
ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so does a little
folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.” (Ecclesiastes 10:1).
Everyone on earth is a builder. All of us are building something in one way or another. You may be building a family or a business empire. You may be building a ministry or an academic career. You may even be building a reputation or a name. Whatever you are building, you should build very carefully if you want to reach your goal.
It takes a lot of self-denial, money, time, materials and labour to build. It requires patience, perseverance, faith and hard work. To pull down something that has been built, is very easy. We have to remember this if we would like to avoid any big losses.
Our passage tells us that flies spoil the sweet smelling perfume the moment they enter it. It begins to produce a stinking odour. You should be extremely careful. Gehazi was building a ministry under the mentorship of Elisha. People knew him wherever he went. He was always with his master. He had access to the king’s palace and all the important places. Being the servant of the most feared and respected man of God won him several favours.
Other prophets envied him, because they knew sooner or later he would succeed his master as the country’s head prophet. Once that had happened, even the king would call him ‘father’. Just before he was destined to take over, he committed one act of foolishness. He agreed with the devil to be greedy for just once! But that single act of foolishness cost him everything. The ministry and reputation he had been building for years were wiped out in an instant. He ended up as the country’s head leper instead of the head prophet! Watch it. Your whole reputation and ministry could be lost as a result of a single act of fornication, theft, infidelity, dishonesty or anger. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to keep building consistently.
Everyone on earth is a builder. All of us are building something in one way or another. You may be building a family or a business empire. You may be building a ministry or an academic career. You may even be building a reputation or a name. Whatever you are building, you should build very carefully if you want to reach your goal.
It takes a lot of self-denial, money, time, materials and labour to build. It requires patience, perseverance, faith and hard work. To pull down something that has been built, is very easy. We have to remember this if we would like to avoid any big losses.
Our passage tells us that flies spoil the sweet smelling perfume the moment they enter it. It begins to produce a stinking odour. You should be extremely careful. Gehazi was building a ministry under the mentorship of Elisha. People knew him wherever he went. He was always with his master. He had access to the king’s palace and all the important places. Being the servant of the most feared and respected man of God won him several favours.
Other prophets envied him, because they knew sooner or later he would succeed his master as the country’s head prophet. Once that had happened, even the king would call him ‘father’. Just before he was destined to take over, he committed one act of foolishness. He agreed with the devil to be greedy for just once! But that single act of foolishness cost him everything. The ministry and reputation he had been building for years were wiped out in an instant. He ended up as the country’s head leper instead of the head prophet! Watch it. Your whole reputation and ministry could be lost as a result of a single act of fornication, theft, infidelity, dishonesty or anger. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to keep building consistently.
MEMORIZE:
ECCLESIATES 10:1 –Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth
a stinking savor: so does a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom
and honor.
