“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”…I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 14 (NLT)
Every time I read the book of Ecclesiastes; I sense the writer’s frustration. He observes the world and wonders why people work so hard with very little reward. He can’t fathom how generations come and go and yet the earth never changes. The sun rising and setting, the wind blowing here and there, in his words, “…Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.” He goes on to say, “Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.” Ecclesiastes 1:5, 8
Surprisingly, that verse seems to be describing our generations. We’ve got billionaires who have seen enough of this world and their next agenda is to spend billions to visit space even if it’s only for a few minutes. I wonder what they are thinking of doing next!
Daily we are all seeking more information and most of the time it doesn’t make us happier or satisfied. “The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.” Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NLT)
Does it mean as Christians we shouldn’t study or seek knowledge? Certainly not. If God has given you the grace to study in a particular specialism to PhD level or higher, go for it. Remember that in all your knowledge search and seeking, God has to be in the centre. Daniel and his fellow captives that served in the palace of the Babylonian king were highly intelligent. They ensured that God was the centre of their lives, and they made a great impact in that foreign kingdom.
“The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge…” Proverbs 1:7 (NLT)
“The fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” Proverbs 9:10 (NLT)
Making God the centre of our life, enables us to discover and achieve our purpose in life which brings contentment. And we’ll not end up like the writer of Ecclesiastes (King Solomon) saying everything is meaningless. Instead, we will find meaning in God and trust that all things are created and are happening for a purpose—His purpose.
My submission is that everything is or becomes meaningless without God.
“That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NLT)
Stay blessed,
Lara
Hills and Valleys 