"All is Vanity (Emptiness)"

I listened to Ecclesiastes yesterday morning and I listened to it again this morning on the way to work. Over and over again, "The Preacher," King Solomon, exclaims that everything is vanity. He did everything he wanted, and had wealth beyond measure, and he sought for wisdom and knowledge his entire life, and at the end of it all, he claims that "it's all vanity." Sounds hopeless but it's not. In this book, He's trying to impart wisdom to us, his listeners.

I'd like to share some of the things that I picked up while listening. It's things that I struggle with at times.

First, enjoy life. Several times Solomon tells us that whatever our lot in life, we need to enjoy it. In the end, it's all we really have. We could strive and strive for more and more and not be satisfied. We start with nothing and we don't take anything with us when we die. What do we have? We have the life that is given to us and Solomon says in Ecc.5: 18 "Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot."

The second thing that caught my attention was in Ecc.6:9a "Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite." For more than five chapters Solomon has been talking about the striving for more, the emptiness it brings, the lack of satisfaction, and still striving for more without enjoying what you have and then this verse. It tells me that it is better to see what I already have then to chasing after my wants. In another place he uses the analogy that it's just like chasing the wind.

The third, and probably most important, words of wisdom (and goes nicely with the first one) that I heard these past two days is found in...
                 Ecc. 9: 7-10 "Go, 
                          1. eat your bread with joy, and 
                          2. drink your wine with a merry heart, for 
                          3. God has already approved what you do.  
                          4. Let your garments be always white. 
                          5. Let not oil be lacking on your head.
                          6. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, 
                all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the grave), to which you are going."
     
When I put all this together it reminded me that I should enjoy the life that God has given me and not be wishing for things that I don't have. I need to enjoy the time I have with my wife and kids and don't waste my time thinking about having bigger and better. Whatever I do, whether work or play, do it with everything I have. I have what I have because God's already approved it for me and it's all for nothing if I'm not satisfied with my lot in life.

Solomon sums it all up in Ecc.12: 13 "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." 

While we enjoy our portion in life that God has given us, our duty in life is to honor and obey Him. I can't think of anything better than having satisfaction in life while serving my God.