So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realised that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? Ecclesiastes 2:24–25 Solomon gets a rare flash of insight that suddenly grabs his attention. […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Christian Living
More Miles of Bad Road
I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! So I gave […]
Read MoreIt’s Time to Face the Truth
After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Solomon’s wrap-up counsel deserves prime-time exposure. It belongs on the marquee of every X-rated theatre. Like a note, it could be inserted inside every bottle of drugs. It would be a great neon sign […]
Read MoreEat, Drink, and Be What?
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 The slogan of the strictly secular lifestyle can be reduced to six single-syllable words: […]
Read MoreChasing the Wind
I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:13–14 As we learned previously, many […]
Read MoreA Man and His Perspective
These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem. “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” Ecclesiastes 1:1–2 There once lived a man who had the time, money, and energy to take a prolonged, searching journey. Not just a mind trip. Not across the imaginary back roads of his […]
Read MoreThe Fruit of Worship
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp, and the melody of a lyre. You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for […]
Read MoreWho, How, and What of Encouragement
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Some crucial questions regarding loving encouragement are worth answering. Who should I attempt to encourage? Ideally, everyone I meet; but realistically, those with whom I have established a close relationship. By the way, don’t think that is automatic. […]
Read MoreEssential Encouragement
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24–25 All the way through Hebrews the spotlight is on Jesus […]
Read More