“Toward the end of his life, a famous person is interviewed. The first question is asked: “You’ve lived a full life. What would you like to tell everyone watching and listening tonight?” The audience leans forward, waiting for a profound response, some helpful words that could make their lives as successful as this person’s.
“Life is meaningless!” the famous person blurts out. “Utterly meaningless!”
For the first time in his life, the interviewer is speechless. The audience is stunned. Is this all there is to life?
The book of Ecclesiastes begins in just this way. King Solomon, the most famous person of his day is interviewing himself, engaging in self-analysis. “How would I portray life to others?” he asks himself. “Meaningless!” is his reply. “Empty, hollow, without significance.” (Wow! We spend our entire lives trying to obtain wealth, happiness, and knowledge, and the man considered to be the wealthiest and wisest man to ever walk the earth is saying life is meaningless.)
What makes Solomon’s words even more surprising and perplexing is that he is known as the wisest man who ever lived and also possibly the richest. Solomon had it all. It is not actually until the end of the book that we realize that he started the book this way to get our attention. Solomon did have it all; he just didn’t realize it until his closing days, after he had made a real mess of his life. Before we make any more of a mess with our lives, Solomon is trying to show us the futility of life without God.
Solomon looked at life as one grand experiment, and in the end he concluded that the experiment had failed. The relationships he developed apart from God were disappointing; the business ventures he explored apart from God brought no real joy or satisfaction. The music, the gardens, the arts – what was the point if they could not be seen as a gift from the eternal God who loves us? (Yes!!! Keep God at the center of our lives!)
All of this dawned on Solomon, but almost too late. Everything he tried apart from God was either disastrous or meaningless. He couldn’t take another dead end. Now, having tried virtually everything his heart desired, he returned to the one true desire of his heart – a relationship with God himself. He finally realized that God is the only hope for meaning and an eternal future. If only he had realized this sooner. If only he could prevent this heartache in others.
“Fear God and obey his commands” is Solomon’s final plea. We can almost sense Solomon’s wistfulness as he says this, wishing above all else that he had had the ordinary common sense to follow this guideline throughout his own life.” (Touch Point Bible)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Thank you for blessing us with another book of your inspiring Word. Help us be completely open to your instruction, counsel, and guidance. Help us all recognize that our lives are meaningless without a purposeful and personal relationship with you. Help us include you in all facets of our lives…every thought, every decision, every endeavor, every relationship. Lord, we love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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