Monday, June 22, 2026

        We believe that King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes.  This book is one of the wisdom books of the Old Testament.  Reading Ecclesiastes alongside Proverbs will give you a tremendous education in biblical wisdom that you can apply to a host of situations.  King Solomon noted that our highest ambition is “to fear God and keep His commandments” (12:13).  Simply put, the most important thing we can do in life is know the Lord and walk by faith in His ways and with Him.  A good life always begins with God and holds on to God. The king reminded us that we are quickly forgotten and the things we often accumulate and live for are quickly forgotten too.  Nothing that we gather lasts forever.  Ecclesiastes says, “for the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten.  Like the fool, the wise too must die” (2:16).  It can be humbling to confront the truth that one day we will be forgotten.  Such a faith and reality are true for the rich and poor, the great and the least and the powerful and the weak.  It has been said that cemeteries are filled with the graves of those no one visits or even remembers as time quickly passes.
         Often, in Ecclesiastes, we come across the word “meaningless.”  Indeed, Solomon used that word four times in the opening two verses.  He wants us to know that we humans are often quite skilled at pursuing things that are meaningless and that amount to little at the end of life.  Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest king to have ever lived.  But as he reflected on his life, he found much that was meaningless.  He called it a “chasing after the wind” (2:17).  Think about the things that consume your days.  Have you ever felt like you were chasing after the wind?  Just as the wind is elusive so too are many of the things we clamor after and chase with our time.  God calls us to build a life with Him.  He calls us to invest in His Word, to meet with Him in prayer, to worship with other believers and to serve Him generously and faithfully.  These activities produce a life of meaning and purpose. These activities also open our minds and hearts to see good things and pursuits that we might have missed otherwise.
         Ecclesiastes 3 opens with the famous refrain that there is a time for everything.  Time is a creation of God’s.  He has graciously given us time—a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens (3:1).  How do you use your time?  Time can be invested or squandered but once it is gone, then it is gone.  We cannot reclaim it.  Most of us would probably like to leave behind a legacy for those we love—families, friends and fellow believers.  A lasting legacy is usually characterized by a life that was well-lived, grounded in God’s Word and committed to making the gospel known by words and deeds that reflect Jesus.  A lasting legacy does not chase after the wind in pursuit of things that will one day wither away, wind down and withdraw from memory.  Western North Carolina is filled with homes and people who watched a lifetime of pursuits and accomplishments wash away when an historic hurricane made landfall.  May we learn from Solomon to fear the Lord and keep His commands—to make pleasing Him and exalting Him our life’s passion and pursuit.  True wisdom begins with God and always seeks to bring God into any conversation or consideration.  It simply makes sense to begin everything with God because only God was in the beginning.  Have a great Monday!