Issue 1804 – The Great City – September 5, 2025
The city of Toronto was in the news, and it made me think of a recent trip to that part of the world.
We flew at about 35,000 feet, high above the countryside, getting a wide view from the air. Toronto is a wonderful city (as far as cities go). It is Canada’s largest and arguably most modern city, but it looked tiny from our vantage point. The major highways looked smaller than a child’s toy, and the skyscrapers looked like little models.
I know how proud Toronto residents are of their “great accomplishments” (as are we all of those in our respective communities). Toronto, like most cities, has its problems, but there are incredible buildings, roadways, parks, hospitals, universities, and mass transit systems. The things they have done in many ways are truly marvelous to behold.
I could almost hear the words of King Solomon as we flew over their incredible city.
I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. Ecclesiastes 2:4-9
From the heights of the aircraft, their accomplishments looked tiny and insignificant. I wonder how they must look from God’s vantage point.
Solomon eventually came to understand the futility of all the effort he expended to accomplish his mighty works.
And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
Solomon marveled for many years at the wonder of his own self-proclaimed greatness. His father, David, had a much different perspective on what greatness was.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:3-9
Are you like Solomon, celebrating all you have accomplished or all that you have? Or are you like David, having achieved great things, but marveling at the wonder of God and recognizing how small his own accomplishments were standing next to what God has done?
If it isn’t done in God’s power, for God’s glory, no matter how marvelous and fantastic it might seem, it is truly meaningless in the overall scheme of eternity. Great things fade to nothingness when compared to the holy power of our righteous, all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent God.
The smallest gift of love, grace, and mercy will outweigh the most prominent office tower when He returns. A kind word, a generous gift, visiting a sick person or an inmate, feeding a hungry child, dressing a cold person warmly, correcting an injustice, righting a wrong, or saving a soul; these are the kinds of things that He will reward when He comes.
Until next time, may your efforts be focused on things that bring God glory.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed,
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
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