5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Ecclesiastes 1-4
Galatians 3:19-4:7

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 (CSB): “I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

The book of Ecclesiastes begins with the attitude, “glass is half empty.” On second thought, it’s not merely “glass half empty,” it’s a glass that is shattered to smithereens.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 (CSB): “‘Absolute futility,’ says the Teacher. ‘Absolute futility. Everything is futile.'”

Goodness! How depressing can you get!?

In fact, if we don’t understand what the writer of Ecclesiastes was trying to tell us, we will avoid this book at all costs. Our mental health just can’t take this much negativity.

But the book’s negativity is intentional. It has a positive purpose. And there is a key that unlocks that positive meaning. That key is found in the verses I chose for today. I will share those verses again and highlight the key phrase that appears almost 30 times in the book.

Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 (CSB): “I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.” (emphasis mine)

In the book of Ecclesiastes, the phrase “under the sun” appears 29 times! “Under heaven” appears 3 times! That is an average of 2.7 times per chapter. That seems clearly significant, don’t you think?

The writer is telling us that if we live our lives from a purely earthly perspective (“under the sun”) with no thought of God or His plans (above the sun), everything will eventually become meaningless to us. It won’t satisfy the deep hunger we have in our souls.

That’s not to say that there are no pleasures to be enjoyed on earth. There are delicious meals, breathtaking sunsets, ambitious projects, and enjoyable relationships that can bring immense happiness and satisfaction. But those things can only go so far. We have all known of people who have chased after many admirable things and, at the end of their lives, wondered what it was all about. Things “under the sun” cannot ultimately satisfy the deepest longing in our souls.

The writer of Ecclesiastes would have us realize that if we desire to satisfy our deepest longings, we have to look above the sun. We must enjoy the Lord and see His plans at work here on earth, and join Him. That’s because God has put a longing in our hearts that only He can satisfy.

In Ecclesiastes 3:11, the writer told us: “He has also put eternity in their hearts.” That phrase means that God has created us for something greater than what we can experience “under the sun.” He has hardwired us to find a soul-satisfying happiness when we glorify and enjoy Him. He has created us to enjoy what He is doing and to join Him in His work. That is what satisfies. Everything else just doesn’t satisfy our deep-down soul’s thirst for the eternal.

So, what does this mean for us? Simply put, we are to obey the greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:37-38 (CSB): “He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.'”

If we simply read the words of Matthw 22:37-38, we may be tempted to feel as if it is just one more command we are required to obey. But when we dive deep to understand God’s heart and how He wired us, we hear Jesus telling us that we will find our heart’s greatest joy and satisfy our soul’s deepest longing when we seek to love and enjoy our God.

Friend, God really does love us! His word is really for our good! We are seeking our own happiness and soul-satisfaction when we seek to obey Him!

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you seek Him and love Him with all your heart.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into Ecclesiastes 3:11, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does it mean that we have eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11)?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)