November 12, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Ecclesiastes? Here’s today’s reading:
Ecclesiastes 2 (NIV)
Pleasures Are Meaningless
1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2“Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives…….Continue Reading
Ecclesiastes 2
Bottom line…the pursuit of anything, if done without a heart and mind that acknowledges the Lord my God as absolutely sovereign over my life, will ultimately be worthless, and has the potential to be worse than worthless…what profits it a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his soul (Mark 8:36).
But the pursuit of God and His righteousness…that pursuit will always satisfy. God has demonstrated His great and abiding love for us…may we all draw near to Him, trust Him, seek to obey Him, and experience the peaceful fruits of righteousness that His Holy Spirit produces in us through our training in godliness! (Hebrews 12:11, 1 Timothy 4:8)
Doesn’t Satan love to watch this world “chase the wind”! Just an endless pursuit of more; more pleasure, more money, more stuff and to no end! This world will tell us there is never enough we can always get more and it gets us nowhere; we end up in the end just chasing the wind with no eternal purpose and no hope that it is leading anywhere.
The joy and fulfilment that comes from pursuing the things of God and the plan and purpose He has for you is overwhelming. It may not come without trials and challenges but even those times bring growth and maturity. Our motivation and heart need to purpose God in ALL things knowing that this life is fleating and as my Nana always said “you can’t take it with you when your gone” lol
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.
“For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 2:26 NKJV
Boy is life so much about the perspective we have on things. If we choose to be negative and consider things to be meaningless, then they will be. And yet when our perspective is filled with joy, thanksgiving and purpose, then we can find significance everywhere. How much is life better when we follow, whatsoever your hand find to do, do it to the glory of God as opposed to trying to find meaning in things themselves. Naturally it is in the knowledge of God and His work in the world and the privilege that we have to join Him in it where meaning is found. May we be guided by that perspective rather then just getting caught up in the monotony that life can be…but nothing is monotonous if we look for God in it! The flesh counts for nothing. It is the Sprit that brings life!
Ecclesiastes 2
For some reason Solomon with all the wisdom that God gave him didn`t limit himself with Godly discretion. He instead indulged in everything that he could. Eccl. 2;10a [ And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them—] No wonder he was disillusioned. He looked to his stuff and everything that he accomplished. Not to God his Maker. When will we ever learn. Isaiah 26;3 [ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.] May we always look to Him as we go through our daily trials.
When we come to the end of our lives and we reflect on it, will we be at peace? We will if we lived our lives according to the purpose that God predestined for us before the world was created. So let us not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of our minds, that we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2