Ecclesiastes 7-12

Today's passage: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ecclesiastes%207-12&version=NIV

I’m going under the assumption that Solomon did in fact write the book of Ecclesiastes. The guy had it all. He build the temple, had the palace, the army, the chariots, the women, the money, the power…by the standards of American culture, he had it all. But he begins the book of Ecclesiastes saying that everything is meaningless:

• Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."

Pretty pathetic life isn’t it…everything meaningless. Life is pretty sad without purpose. The things of this world can never fill us up. They can never satisfy. Some might think that Ecclesiastes is a pretty pessimistic book. Everything is meaningless in life, so why bother? But we have to read the entire book and get to the conclusion to see how to live a full, complete, whole life.

• Ecclesiastes 12:13 says “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

That doesn’t mean cower in the corner and try not to mess up and break any commandments. Fear means a healthy respect…an awe for our creator…a faith in who He is and what He has and will do. Fear of God goes hand and hand with love:

• “Let those who fear the Lord say, ‘His love endures forever’" (Psalm 118:4).
• “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18)

If you’re feeling a little disconnected, fragmented or incomplete, the only thing that can fill you is a personal relationship with God. Turn toward Him and away from a life of disobedience. That hole in your life is a God shaped hole and only He can fill it and make you whole. He created us to do good works and he has prepared them in advance for us to do. He gives our life purpose and meaning. Without Him, we are useless, but in Him we are significant. If you have already given your life to Jesus, I encourage you to take some time to thank him for giving up his life so that your life can have meaning. I encourage you to ask him to guide and direct you through this life of purpose that he has given you.

If you haven’t given your life to Jesus and you'd like to experience for yourself this awesome love, this awesome plan of God, I'd urge you to tell Jesus this very day, "Jesus, I'm Yours. I give up the control - the steering wheel of my life. I'm putting all my trust in what You did on the cross to pay for what I have done against You. Right now, I'm giving all of me to You."

Today's post submitted by Kelly Coxe