Lunch Bite February 2, 2021

Ecclesiastes 2:3–11

³ I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. ⁴ I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. ⁵ I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. ⁸ I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

⁹ So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. ¹⁰ And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. ¹¹ Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

The pursuit of happiness?  The authors of the Declaration of Independence were right in a sense to include the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence because every person has the right to seek out what makes them happy.  Solomon learned in his life and shared with us that most pursuits will never yield the fruits of happiness.  He had tried them all and he declared his pursuits to be futile and a waste of time.

Those who worked to establish this country set forth these words.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

They have become the liberties that we value.  While we are pursuing happiness, we must hear God’s words through a man given great wisdom that to find joy we must pursue it through our relationship and knowledge of God.  God has given you the right to pursue your happiness and He and has given Himself as the means of life, liberty, and happiness. 

Do not be like Solomon and get to the end of your life to declare all your pursuits a waste of time because you pursued the wrong things.  Before it is too late stop and examine your pursuits are they God, of God, and include God.