The Tuesday after Sexagesima Sunday
Posted on February 10, 2026 by under
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 (NKJV)
11:1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
Devotion
The author gives counsel on faithful living: even though time and chance may sabotage a carefully planned project, it is foolish to refuse to engage in ventures for fear of sustaining losses. Verse one is somewhat similar to our saying, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” If a merchant engaged in trade upon the seas, a storm could sink his ships and his fortune. But he does not allow this possibility to prevent him from investing in a business. The truth expressed in this maxim as applied to the Church: deeds performed by believers in Christ are not a bad investment. Like ships sent out to sea, they return laden with rich dividends, though it may be after many days.
These verses also urge faithful caution in making investments. Because evil may happen on earth, it is wise not to “put all your eggs into one basket.” The outcome of man’s enterprises depends on circumstances beyond his control, such as the havoc caused by the forces of nature. Man, who does not understand how he takes shape in the womb of his mother, should not wait to completely understand the work of God, who makes and sustains everything, before he launches a project which may or may not prove outwardly profitable. We live by fear, love, and trust in the Lord.
Collect: O Lord God, Who seest that we put not our trust in anything that we do: Mercifully grant that by Thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
