Ecclesiastes 11 — Cast Thy Bread Upon the Waters
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight. He that observeth the wind shall not sow. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not.
“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”
— Ecclesiastes 11:1
- v.1-6 Generous risk
- v.7-10 Rejoice in youth; remember God
Sow in both seasons. You do not know which planting will succeed; both at once is the wise strategy.
A check on perfectionism. Stop predicting which initiative will work; sow more, withhold less.
Verse 1 urges you to give without waiting to see the return. The bread cast on the waters returns on God's timetable, not yours. Trust the chapter; release the bread.
Christ taught the same — give, and it shall be given unto you (Luke 6:38). The chapter's generosity is the Christian's practice grounded in His promise.
A counter-intuitive generosity. Bread released seems lost; it comes back. The economy of giving runs by different rules than the economy of hoarding.
A verse for risk-averse generosity. The investment is in the giving; the return is in God's timing.