Discover With the Wisest Man on Earth
Even though he was the wisest man of all time, King Solomon discovered much in his life. It’s kind of comforting to know that the wisest man of all time discovered that life is pretty much meaningless. If it was meaningless for him, no wonder we feel that way!
I recently just finished studying the book of Ecclesiastes, thought to be written by King Solomon toward the end of his life. Solomon searched for meaning and documented his findings in this book of the Bible. He realized a lot of things about life.
Here are a few discoveries that jumped out at me.
- We can work hard to accomplish much, but it’s like chasing the wind. Eccl 1:11
- There is nothing better for people than to be happy in your work. Eccl 2:22
- What God does is final. His purpose is for people to fear Him. Eccl 3:14
- It’s better to be young and wise than old and foolish. And yet youth also is fleeting. Eccl. 4:13-16
- If you make a promise to God, keep it. Eccl 5:2 It’s better to say nothing than to break a promise. vs. 5
- Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Eccl. 6:9
- God created people to be virtuous, but most have turned to follow their own path. Eccl 7:29
- Life is not fair. Just enjoy what you can in life. At least then you will experience some happiness along with the hard work. Eccl 8:15
- Even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise are despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. Eccl 9:16
- Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And a little bird might hear it and tell it to him. Eccl 10:20 {Was he talking about TWITTER?}
- It’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God to everything you do. Eccl 11:9
- Fear God and his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. Eccl 12:13-14
My Discovery
I’ve always felt this would make a great basis for baccalaureate speech at graduation but I don’t think I have ever heard it done. These and so many more points would be great advice for young people. As I’ve grown older I’ve seen that King Solomon was right on target. This life is vanity, meaningless, like chasing the wind.
But if we learn to be content, love others, and trust God to take care of the rest, we can have a fulfilled life with happiness to boot. We can sit around and complain and cry about how unfair everything is or we can get busy living.
What is your take on this? Do you want to sit back and chant “It isn’t fair!” or will you turn your eyes on the creator of heaven and earth. Look for the good in life. A change in perspective changes everything.
Pastor’s Wife (retired) & Chronic Pain Warrior blogs about how to make it through anything by relating her own life experiences to her writing. She is passionate about her love for the Lord and desires to spread that passion to others. She has a great desire to encourage women who are following behind her.
