Mon.’s Devo - It is Not Meaningless

Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 22:15
Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon during the time he fell away from the Lord through the marriages of his pagan wives and worshipped idols (Kings 11:1-10). It is put in the Bible to show man’s philosophy from the wisest man on earth. It is a stark contrast to Proverbs written by Solomon during his days he followed God.
There are many hidden nuggets of truth in Ecclesiastes but the attitude of the book is that life is meaningless. If life was meaningless then why would God create it, then send his son to die for it. Proverbs starts out by stating the purpose of that book was to give the reader wisdom and discipline to live a successful life. Ecclesiastes starts out with “Pointless!, Pointless!” Solomon says nothing matters and there is no reward for what we do. That goes against everything God has taught since the beginning of the earth.
Ecclesiastes gives us an inside look at a person’s mindset who has everything the world has to offer, but without God he is totally unfulfilled and empty. He has no hope in the Lord.
In Solomon’s search for meaning he found that it was more useful to be wise than foolish even though, he concluded that the same fate awaits them both. (This was before Christ, so there was no knowledge of salvation.) Solomon realized that he would one day die and everything he had worked so hard for would go to someone who did nothing to deserve it. Solomon had no concept of preparing a way for the next generation.
In Solomon’s thoughts about time he rightly concluded that everything and all seasons are in the Lord’s hand. One day, God will judge every intention and action of man. Solomon concluded that man and animal were the same and who knows what happens to them when they die so they might as well live it up on earth because this might be as good as it gets.
Through Solomon’s eyes we can understand the hopelessness of a person who has no faith in the resurrection and power of the gospel. No wonder so many people take their own lives or turn to some substance to dull their senses.
Paul got on to the Corinthians for brining their fellow believing brothers to court for an ungodly judge to decide their case. First of all, since they are their own brothers, they should just walk away and let the injustice stand. God will judge in the end and take care of all the injustice done to us. And secondly, they should realize how this looks to unbelievers when they see that Christians can’t get along. The world will come to Jesus when they see the church being one and loving one another.
The people were using the excuse that they could do anything they wanted to do because they were under grace but Paul told them that even though they had a free will, they were not to become a slave to anything, especially sin. God made us to be holy and righteous and anything else will only hurt us.
Lord, thank you for hope that does not disappoint. Help us to walk in the righteousness of Christ that is in us.