Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “Scripture- “yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”- Ecclesiastes 2:11
Insight: Kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. We like to build a moat around our lives that keeps unwanted things out and allows us “freedom” to focus on what we desire. We live in a “me first” society, but none of our earthly possessions or wealth accumulation will impress Jesus at our life’s end. Only what we did to shine the Glory of His name to help others will count in His eternal kingdom. I have come to realize that true contentment can only be found in close fellowship with the Lord. Even King Solomon, “The wisest man that ever lived,” according to 1 Kings 3:12, came to the same conclusion. He was blessed with wealth beyond imagination and was given the privilege of building God’s temple, yet he could find no lasting contentment apart from obeying God. He devoted himself to studying and exploring all kinds of things. He sought worldly pleasures and satisfaction in his fleshly pursuits, but he quickly realized they were folly and without lasting value as the contentment he was seeking evaded him through these pursuits. He tried to find contentment through personal achievement, through sexual encounters with numerous partners, through His wealth. He undertook many great projects, including the building of an extensive irrigation system to bring water to his groves of flourishing trees. In the end, he decided according to Ecclesiastes 2:11 “that yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
We can all earn great lessons from the wisdom of Solomon. Despite massive wealth, great accomplishments, and any fleshly pleasure he wanted to indulge, he still could not find peace or contentment apart from God. Many live life for the applause of others, but in the end, that will also prove meaningless. The only things that will truly matter is what we did in the name and for the honor of King Jesus, our Lord. So, what kind of things can we do in our lives to honor Jesus? For starters, we can help those in need that he places in our path. Like the Good Samaritan in Luke Chapter 10, Jesus expects us not to simply “walk on by” the people we come across that need our help, but to actually stop and offer our assistance. We certainly can’t do everything, but like the Good Samaritan, we can do something to help our fellow man when in need. Looking after those in need with the heart of Christ, as He outlines in Matthew 25:34-36, is a sure way to gain His approval and blessings: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Only Jesus can truly satisfy, so saying “yes” to whatever he calls us to is the best use of our time. Being selfless in a selfish world is where the greatest treasures in this life lie. Trust in Jesus and in Him alone.
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