Whispering Eternity #91

Day 91.

“So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.” Eccl 2:17 NLT

The disappointed and disillusioned are found not only in the hovels, ghettos, and terminal wards, but in parliament, Hollywood, in mansions and in society at large. This exposé is not the conclusion of a man dogged by continuous misfortune, poverty, or continuous ill health. Solomon was that man that got all his desires and yet had “vexation of spirit.” This Phrase ours 9 times in the KJV e.g., 1:14, 17 2:11 and 17 etc. The NRSV, NIV and NLT use the term “striving after, or chasing the wind.” Solomon had gone full circle, from the house of God, up fools hill and back again. He realized he had been chasing the wind. When you grab a hand full of air, you still have nothing! You can grab a hand full of gold – and what have you got? The book of Revelation tells us that in the New Jerusalem Gold is just paving stones! (Rev.21:21)

As a spiritual exercise read Eccl 1:12 through to 2:20 and highlight every time the word ‘I’ or ‘my’ occurs. You will find 45. Solomon had everything that anybody from any age would ever want, but he recognized the meaninglessness of it all. The selfish man is always disappointed. If you want to know the best life has to offer, live for others. The best way to be happy is to spend your time making other people happy.

Some of us will reach the end of our lives and find out what fools we have been. We will have wasted away eternity in the space of a few short fleeting years. God has offered eternal life to every person. He has shown us (Rom 5:8) that He means what He says by sending Jesus His son to live amongst us and then to die in our place. He offers it as a free gift saying “whosoever will may come” – who would waste away eternity for 70 years of pleasure, laughter, wine, women, gardens or gold – Solomon declared it all to be vanity (KJV) or meaninglessness (NLT). Would you do that? Are you doing that? At the trial of Jesus men spate on Him and mocked Him; we can do that by our attitude to Him.

As an illustration in church on a couple of occasions I have got 5-6 teenagers up the front and asked them whether they would accept a gift of $10million. All enthusiastically declared they would gladly do so. Then I added a condition. Would they still accept the gift of $10million if they had to spend it all in a year? Again, there was complete approval. They were dreaming of cars boast and waterfront properties. Then I added a second condition. Would they accept the $10million if it had to be spent in a year, but at the end of the year they had to forfeit their life? Suddenly nobody was so keen to take the $10million. How much is life worth anyway? But this is the trade off the devil makes with people all the time! As Jesus said, “For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?” Matt.16:26 NASB. Other translations have ‘life’ instead of soul, which is what ‘soul’ means anyway. 573

 

1 Comment
  • Evelyn Ebens
    Posted at 08:18h, 13 June Reply

    When we look back on life, we don’t remember the “things” but we do recall the kind thoughts and the friendship of others

Post A Comment