September 3
Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 22:16
Solomon spends most of Ecclesiastes discussing where to find meaning in life. Since this is one of the key themes in the book, it is vital that we understand what he means by "meaningless". This word is found 33 times in Ecclesiastes and only four other times in the entirety of the Bible. It is clearly the central purpose of the book.
As we meander through the 33 usages of "meaningless" it may seem difficult to find one concise definition, but one of the clearest synonyms is temporal. When we do not include God in our decisions, we inevitably only live for the moment. We become like the man in 4:7-8 who collects a massive amount of wealth, but as death approaches realizes that it will not help him. Or the people in 4:13-16 who look to various politicians to rescue them, but when considering eternity they are just distant memories. If our actions, decisions, and emotions are not prioritizing eternity, then why are we doing them in the first place? They are just meaningless! So let us pursue meaning, which means living for God in all we do.
Father God, help me to live for things which matter. Help me to be consumed by things which matter in light of eternity. I confess that I far too often make life about me and my desires rather than you and your glory. Help me to remain focused on you and your glory today. Amen.
Question of the day: In what ways does your life reflect temporal pursuits rather than eternal?
Solomon spends most of Ecclesiastes discussing where to find meaning in life. Since this is one of the key themes in the book, it is vital that we understand what he means by "meaningless". This word is found 33 times in Ecclesiastes and only four other times in the entirety of the Bible. It is clearly the central purpose of the book.
As we meander through the 33 usages of "meaningless" it may seem difficult to find one concise definition, but one of the clearest synonyms is temporal. When we do not include God in our decisions, we inevitably only live for the moment. We become like the man in 4:7-8 who collects a massive amount of wealth, but as death approaches realizes that it will not help him. Or the people in 4:13-16 who look to various politicians to rescue them, but when considering eternity they are just distant memories. If our actions, decisions, and emotions are not prioritizing eternity, then why are we doing them in the first place? They are just meaningless! So let us pursue meaning, which means living for God in all we do.
Father God, help me to live for things which matter. Help me to be consumed by things which matter in light of eternity. I confess that I far too often make life about me and my desires rather than you and your glory. Help me to remain focused on you and your glory today. Amen.
Question of the day: In what ways does your life reflect temporal pursuits rather than eternal?
Recent
Archive
2025
January
January 1January 2January 3January 4January 5January 6January 7January 8January 9January 10January 11January 12January 13January 14January 15January 16January 17January 18January 19January 20January 21January 22January 23January 24January 25January 26January 27January 28January 29January 30January 31
February
March
Categories
no categories
No Comments