Ecclesiastes 5:8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
There is a Higher Power
First of all, if you looked at the news this morning, I’m sorry. When you look at the news, it is easy to feel that evil is winning. There are a lot of bad people doing a lot of bad things. That has always been the case for those living “under the sun,” those of us who live on this earth.
I want to tell you that there is a Higher Power. Ecclesiastes 5:8 reminds us of that. The Bible reminds us here that there is a Power higher than money. The verse here refers to “the oppression of the poor.” Well, who would oppress the poor other than those who are not poor, those who have what the poor lack, namely money? Money may be power, but there is a Higher Power.
There is a Higher Power than force. Ecclesiastes refers to the “violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province.” There have been a lot of people and nations throughout human history who have perverted justice for their own gain. In fact, the most common story through the ages has been the violent perverting of justice and the oppression of those who are weak. But there is a Higher Power than force.
There is a Higher Power than politics. Ecclesiastes speaks of all these things in the framework of a “province.” It is a reference, of course, to the government of people. It is talking about politics. Some people are very skilled at moving others to do their will. If we are not careful, we see that and think, “Well, if I could have money, strength, or political savvy, then I would be strong and secure.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
God has given us both the possessions we have and the ability to enjoy them. The thing to remember when you feel as if bad people are winning is that it is not true. In the big scheme of things there is a Higher Power, and the most amazing thing about this is that He that is higher than the highest on this earth regards us. He pays attention to us. The highest God regards the lowest person who will look to Him for help. This is a reason to be content with what we have and to be a good steward of what we have. Whether we have great power or but a little strength, we need God. We need a Higher Power.