Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 1 – 3
Father:
“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
Son:
“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)
EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS.
Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. The wise and the foolish share the same fate – they both die. All of our hard work, everything we have earned or acquired, we leave behind to someone else. We cannot take it with us when we die. Most people are motivated to succeed because they envy their neighbors. This is meaningless — like chasing after the wind.
These are the thoughts of King Solomon after devoting himself to the search for understanding and exploring everything being done under the sun. The more wisdom he gained, the more grief he experienced; the more Solomon knew and understood, the more he grieved the realities of life. He discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race.
I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” – Ecclesiastes 2:1-2
King Solomon initially comes across much like Winnie the Pooh’s friend, Eeyore. But, in the midst of Solomon’s cynical and negative rant, he offers us some great words of wisdom to live by. He teaches us how to relax in some of these negative realities and enjoy the life God has blessed us with.
EVERYTHING IS FROM GOD
What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are GIFTS FROM GOD. – Ecclesiastes 3:9-13
Today is a great day to recognize God’s blessings in our lives. Even though there is trouble and sorrow in this world, the evidence of God’s provision is everywhere. He is preparing a wonderful place for us to spend eternity with Him — more beautiful than we can imagine — but He is also blessing us with people and opportunities that bring us joy now. God has made everything beautiful for its own time. Let’s find the beauty in today, recognize the beauty in yesterday, while living in hope for tomorrow.
So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are FROM THE HAND OF GOD. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? – Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth – except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!…Hoarding riches harms the saver…We can’t take our riches with us…And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – this is indeed a GIFT FROM GOD. — Ecclesiastes 5:10-19
God, we want to stop before our day gets any farther and say thank you for all you have done for us. Today we recognize all the pleasures you allow us to enjoy in this life, and we want you to know how grateful we are for your loving generosity. Although the pleasures of this world are temporary and cannot be compared to the riches of Heaven, we see that they are gifts from you — blessings straight from the hand of God! May we never lose sight of the source of everything good in our lives, and may we never lose sight of the things that are eternal because we have become too wrapped up in the things that are temporary. Amen.