June 1, 2021 - Ecclesiastes 11:7-10
“If I knew what I know now when I was young, I would have done things differently!” That is a phrase I have stated and have heard many people say in some form. The joys and the sorrows all mingle to create a unique person named you! Yet it is the lessons we each learn as we grow that makes our life adventure so exceptional!
Life is a sweet gift from God that we are to enjoy and embrace. Solomon begins his final and concluding thoughts as he had begun his book. What does life consist of and how does man fit in the scheme of this cycle of existence? He began with the question in 1:3 of “What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?” People and events come and go but it is all vanity. Now after all the research and personal reflection, Solomon acknowledges the beauty and pleasure that man can enjoy throughout his lifetime.
The defining element that Solomon inserts is the presence of God and man’s dependence upon God for all life’s activities. As man does not know the way of the wind the development of bones in a mother’s womb, so we cannot understand the works of God (v.5)! Solomon’s words indicate that he desires man to enjoy life, particularly in their youth. The joy and experiences of learning and investigating the world and all its mysteries are before the young and in their inquisitive nature they are to stretch and explore. Amid the joy and sorrow of these explorations, know that the Lord is attentive and will hold each person accountable (v.9).
As youth mature, the truths learned from their explorations and searching for answers guide them through adulthood. The joys of those days lift and the sorrows temper us as we recognize the fleeting time of our life. The reality of the brevity of life causes us to reflect and, for most, to put away evil (sin) and remember our Creator. Take time today to give thanks for the joys you have enjoyed. Allow the Creator freedom to remove the sorrow that may have settled into your heart. Psalm 31:1 state, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Psalm 31:11 concludes with, “Be glad and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”