Lesson 31

“All in Vain”

10/17/06

Your Thoughts: Do you think you are content with your life?

Do you need changes in you life?

What does being fulfilled mean to you?

My Thoughts: There are a lot of thoughts or ideas that come through a individuals mind that may or may not bring them to want to know God’s existence. I'd like to begin this lesson by sharing my thoughts prior to knowing and accepting the existence of God. Then, in time, these thoughts began to convince me to pay more attention to what God has to say via the Bible and other believers. This in turn led me to make the commitment to except Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Like most kids I was carefree and had no concerns about the future or why the environment around me was the way it was. I treated everyday as just another day. I did have concerns on how I performed in many situations but in general I was carefree.

As I grew older, I started to become more curious about things. I had questions on topics such as why am I here? Where will I go when I die? How can all creation from the lower forms of life, such as microorganisms up to the higher form known, as human beings be put together in such a precise matter? Why do I feel good one moment then feel bad the next ?

Pondering on these thoughts started to affect me. I became very discontent and restless. Every new thing that I learned brought me excitement, happiness and even a sense of satisfaction. Then as the newness started wearing away or became old I needed to know something else or at least try to improve what I already knew so that it wasn’t old anymore. I became very restless, and discontent again. Does this sound familiar?

Our theme scripture is just one of many verses in Ecclesiastes that talks about the emptiness and restlessness we are plaqued with while on this earth. Solomon was a perfect example of a man that had his share of success. He was given great wisdom and with that wisdom he was able to succeed in many ways (1king 4: 29-30). He had friends from many nations. He had many possessions from lots of land to many gardens and animals. He had the capability to speak three thousand proverbs and wrote one thousand and five songs (1 King 4: 32). The ironic thing about Solomon’s wisdom was that he received it from God simply because he had the desire to ask for it. I believe he was sincere and had a love for the God that his father David worshipped.

Then something happened that changed Solomon’s life and can do the same with us. Solomon enjoyed his material possessions so much that he actually became unhappy and discontented. He was never satisfied. He wanted more. One of his greatest possessions and also became his downfall was his love for many foreign women. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11: 1-3). His love for these foreign women was so great that he became blinded to the reason why he was so successful in the first place. He substitutes the God that blesses him with wisdom and great success with the gods that were fabricated by the women he chose to love. Solomon began to fall into the pit of emptiness because he chose to worship gods that weren’t real and in turn had nothing to offer except emptiness.

Let’s face it, we are never going to be satisfied or content in this world when it is saturated with so much to do and so many things to obtain. In time these possessions begin to get old. We begin to get old. Where does it all end? As you read through Ecclesiastes you read many verses like our theme verse and you become sad and discouraged. Then you read verse 13, which reads “let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter”. Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is man’s all”. If we don’t allow God to fill our hearts and souls with His loving presence we will never see contentment in our lives. Jesus taught us that we need to fill the void that is in our inner being. That void was put there when we decided to do all things by our selves.

The writer of Ecclesiastes shows us with amazing accuracy how empty we are when we are on our own. Jesus shows us; again with great accuracy how full we can be if He is allowed to control our lives. Let the richness of God’s infinite Love fill you today. “Allow the knowledge of Christ, which passes all knowledge fill you with all the fullness of God (Eph 3: 19). With Jesus abiding in us we will never be alone and when you get down to it, that is what we really need. We need a companion, a friend, mentor and most of all a Lord who is Lord of all Lords. Try Him today and you will never regret it. May the Lord fill you with all His blessings. Amen.

Scripture Ref : Philippians 4:11, Duet 10: 12, Ecc.12: 13 Only Jesus, the Living Water, can satisfy the thirsty soul.

Our Daily Bread On 10/15/06