The Few Days Of Their Life

I said to myself, “Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But again, this also was a vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine – my mind still guiding me with wisdom – and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got singers, both men and woman, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines.

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Time after time Solomon would try one thing after another. He wanted to find meaning. He was bored. He was scared. He was tired. He yawned, which is a deep-breath reflex that sends a rush of oxygen to the rescue. He had come to the conclusion that nothing was worth anything. He had tried everything and was still searching for the meaning of life. He finally realized that nothing satisfies except to fear God and keep His commandments.

Once we have feasted on the goodness of God,

nothing else will satisfy.

Our Daily Bread – August 11, 2005