Yes! There is Good News! July 21, 2018

There is an innate desire within each one of us to find satisfaction through the things that we accomplish. I have had the opportunity to visit with and to counsel people who find their lives unfulfilled. Perhaps you have found yourself in this situation, wondering what it is all about. Is there a meaning to our routines that we attend to each and every day?
Do you enjoy your work? Perhaps the first question to ask is; do you have work to do? Work in itself can be a great help in finding some inner peace and satisfaction. Unfortunately, many today feel that it is all about a paycheck. This is a false motive. There is a line in a song that I very much enjoy; it says, “Work like you’re worth more than money.” Think about that. Is the life you live only worth the money you earn? Money is just a medium of exchange – I exchange my time at work for money, and then I exchange that money for things. And some people think that the more money they have the more they will feel fulfilled or the happier they will be.

A long time ago I learned a precious lesson and it has accompanied me these past many decades: the more things you own, the more they own you! What is it you really want in life? Well, I began this article talking about finding satisfaction through the things we accomplish.

There is a book in the bible that, in my opinion, addresses this subject. It is a book that I enjoy reading when the things of this life have gotten me down. It has the tendency to help me center myself in the true meaning and reason that God has placed us here on earth. The book of Ecclesiastes is a part of the bible called “The Wisdom Literature.”

This book was written by Solomon and I believe it was written during the latter part of his life. Perhaps we all know that when Solomon was very young, he was given rulership over all the nation of Israel from his father King David. God came to him in a dream one night (the episode is found in 2 Chronicles 1) and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” In verse 10 Solomon said, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” First of all this is an amazing request, and second, Solomon had the understanding that this nation belonged to God.

Solomon started off really well and impressed all he met with his wisdom and with his wealth. He reigned very wisely until his wealth and power went to his head. In 1 Kings Chapter 11 we learn how his many foreign wives turned his attention away from God and toward false gods. But it is my opinion that Solomon came back to his senses and saw his error. And so the book of Ecclesiastes may be seen as his book of repentance.

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” Says the teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Eccl. 1:1) This first line of the book doesn’t sound like a real pick me up at first blush but hang on – God willing, in the next few weeks, we will do a little study of this book to see if it contains any good news.