Today’s Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:24, NKJV- “Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.”
Solomon, the wisest and richest king of all times was pondering the meaning of life. He found that God brings meaning. Just look around at the world’s madness. What was once good is now bad. Way back to the book of Isaiah over 2700 years ago, Isaiah 5:12 warned us of a day when “But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, nor do they consider the work of His hands.”
We were warned that when we lose sight of the hand of God the natural progression is Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
We witness good being called evil, don’t we? Isaiah 5:21 warned “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” When we think we are wise, or even think we know what is evil or good, we eventually get to where Solomon was as he wrote Ecclesiastes.
Life itself proves meaningless without God. God is the judge of what is good. Solomon who afforded and studied all that is done under heaven, found nothing new. What we are finding is nothing new. Generations will come and go yet the earth and God remains. When we and our circumstances are long gone, God and this earth will remain.
At the end of our efforts, we often find meaninglessness. Do not despair, as Ecclesiastes 2:24 reminds us to simply eat and drink today and do a labor our soul enjoys but most importantly trust the hand of God. In the next verse we are reminded that without God we will not find the food or enjoyment we need. The labor of our souls should be a labor that pleases God.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 promises that if we work to please God, He gives us wisdom, knowledge, and joy. Do you want wisdom, knowledge, and joy now? Work to please God. Chapter 3 in Ecclesiastes is the famous verse where Solomon reminds us there is a season for everything. Wherever you are now, another season is around the corner.
Regardless of the season we find ourselves in now, in Ecclesiastes 3:11, we are reminded that although we do not understand, everything becomes beautiful in its time. We just need to eat and work every day to do what is good and trust that God will make everything beautiful in its time. God is forever and our current circumstances are only temporary, and we can give them to the hand of God.
Will you give this season you are in to the hand of God?
Today’s Prayer: Father God, I am trusting Your hand. I am working and eating today in total trust and reliance in the beauty You will create. Forgive me LORD for my sins and for trusting in my own hands and understanding. LORD, I am asking for Your wisdom, knowledge, and joy that I cannot find in myself, but I am trusting that I will find all things in Your hand forever and it will be beautiful. Amen.
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