Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18
2 Corinthians 7:8-16
Psalm 48:1-14
Proverbs 22:17-19
Ecclesiastes 8:14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
So far in all of Ecclesiastes it seems like Solomon is discouraged about the meaninglessness of life which maybe he was but I can see where he is really making the case that there is no reason to get caught up in the worries, stress and unfairness of life. Instead of allowing those things to bring you down, cause you anxiety, anger and bitterness see it as temporary and meaningless. When you are able to do that then you are able to enjoy life. Nothing in this life will be able to rob your joy.
Ecclesiastes 9:1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
As it is with the good,
so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
so with those who are afraid to take them.
The only way to be able to enjoy life and not let things get you down and take away your joy are to believe and accept that no matter what it's all in God's hands. Notice I didn't say put it in God's hands. You have no power to give something to God it's already His. Think about something that is taking away your joy. Something that is causing you worry, anger or stress. Maybe someone has done something evil to you or someone you love and nothing has changed in their lives. Maybe they even got some worldly good out of it. Picture that person in God's hands. Everything in their life is in His hands. Things that look like blessings and things that look like punishment are all in His hands. He has them right where He wants them. Now you grab onto that person's leg and try to pull them out of God's hand so you can place them somewhere in this world that you think they should be. Who is going to win that tug of war? Not you. You have no way of knowing what God is doing and what He is working out and even if you never see any "punishment" on someone in this life they will face judgement when Jesus returns. That is why it is all meaningless. In the end every one of us will stand before the judgement seat of Christ. So instead of playing a meaningless game of tug of war that will only frustrate you and take away your joy live a life worthy of your Saviour and bask in the joy of the love that He has for you.
2Corinthians 7:8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
We are also held in God's hands. Now picture yourself in God's hands. He has a plan and a purpose for you but you keep jumping out of His hands and try to do what you want to do. That is all meaningless labor. But if you remain/abide in Him even when you cause someone sorrow, it will be used for His good purpose. Sometimes God will place us in a place to speak truth to a brother or sister that they do not want to hear. We may feel bad because those truths make them sad but God can use that sorrow to lead them to repentance. When repentance comes the sorrow ends and there is restoration the sorrow is not meaningless. These are the things that you want when you stand before Christ and review your life. Strive for more and more meaningful things and for less meaningless things and joy will be yours.
Comments