Reading: Ecclesiastes 5-8
Aman to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease (Eccl. 6:2).
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: (6:1). Solomon deliberately formulated these words in such a manner as to cause his listeners to lean forward and prick up their ears. He wanted all who heard him to fully understand the lesson he had discovered too late. Riches, wealth, and honour are indeed wonderous blessings from God, but in and of themselves, they are worthless. Without God as the spiritual center of our life, any enjoyment we receive from them will be fleeting at best. It is evil to look to our blessings as the source of our happiness and contentment. In the blink of an eye, our lives could end, and our blessings would cease. If we don’t already have God at that point, we will be left with nothing.
Many today who are in danger of getting waylaid by this particular evil count themselves as members in good standing of the Christian community. They have accepted the blessings God has bestowed upon them as their just rewards and internalized their gratitude instead of honoring the Lord from whom the blessings came. Although they may pay lip service to God as the source of their prosperity, they genuinely believe they have earned everything they have been given. For such people, their blessings have become chains, tying them to this world and drawing them further and further away from God.
One of the ways in which we are called to honor God is by using the gifts we have been given in His service. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church (I Cor. 14:12). Whatever we have been given, Riches, wealth, honour, wisdom, or skill, we have been given so that we can effectively serve Him and aid in the furthering of His kingdom.
To those who are only concerned with personal gain and who don't spare a second thought for matters of eternity, Solomon had this to say: If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness (Eccl. 6:3-4). One day we will all have to settle an account of our lives with God. Woe to the person that has dedicated their life towards personal gain and forgotten the importance of serving the Lord.
And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21).
Thought for Today: Worldly satisfaction can erode one's faith just as surely as perceived injustice and indignation.
Word Studies: 5:12 suffer = permit; 5:13 sore evil = great adversity or affliction; 5:14 evil travail = misfortunes; 6:3 an untimely birth = stillbirth or miscarriage; 7:2 lay = take; 7:12 excellency = advantage; 7:26 bands = chains.
Pray For Staff:Gilbert Palafox • Government Official: Rep. Diana DeGette (CO) • Country: Tuvalu (10,782) Southwestern Pacific • Major Languages: Tuvaluan, English • Religious Freedom • 98.4% Protestant; 1% Baha'i; 0.6% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Call to the Lord for help; He will save you out of your troubles (Ps. 34:17).
Optional Readings: Hebrews 6