Dunklin County Court Reports- Division II

How do you feel about life right now? Is it pretty good or pretty bad? Those who are older have lived long enough to experience many of life’s sad experiences like losing a child, health deterioration, or possibly the loss of all their worldly possessions. Youth should be a happy time in life. Sadly, many young people today don’t feel like life is very good. Suicide is on the rise among them.

What is it that gives life real meaning? The book of Ecclesiastes gives us the answer. The answer is God! Living for Him is what life is about! “Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1) God gives man the power to enjoy the important things in life such as one’s spouse, family, accomplishments and wealth.

If you are not careful, you may be more depressed about life after reading the book of Ecclesiastes, since it talks about so many things being vanity. “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanity, all is vanity.” (1:2) But, careful attention to reading shows that unto those who reverence God, He gives the power to enjoy life. This earthly life is not all there is, but there is life after death. “Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

The first three chapters reveal that seeking to be the wisest person (1:13-18), or increasing physical possessions and pleasurable things in life (2:1-11) by themselves are not satisfying and are vanity. (2:12-23) God’s gift is the ability to enjoy life’s labors. (2:24) Life is made up of good and bad events (3:1-11; 11:7-8), but having God in our life is more precious than the temporary things of life. We all will die (3:18-21; 9:1-6), but we can enjoy our life when we receive it from God’s hand as a gift. (3:12-13, 22)

There are things in this life that can sour our perspective about living such as wickedness (3:16-17), oppression of the weak by the strong (4:1-3; 5:8), working hard all your life and having no family to leave it to when you die (4:7-8), giving your wealth to family who squanders it all (5:14-17), fear of losing one’s wealth (5:10-13; 6:2), and life’s irregularities. (10:3-17)

Life is better when you take the time to enjoy the fruits of your labors (Ecclesiastes 4:6). “Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God” (5:19). In chapter seven, we see many things that will make our earthly life better.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 says, “Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life…”

Some people have it all (long life, wealth, possessions), but still don’t enjoy their lives. (6:3-6) How sad! Also, the wicked destroys his ability to enjoy life because he doesn’t fear God. (8:12-13) Since none of us know when we will die, we therefore need to enjoy our life as we live it. (9:11-12) Accept life as a gift from God! God also has another gift you need to accept and it is eternal life.