SCRIPTURE - Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 (NIV)

“What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.”

The book of Ecclesiastes asks many questions about the enigma of life. What is its purpose, why do some people enjoy the gifts that God gives and others don’t, why does life sometimes seem futile along with the role that God plays in our lives. The big question in this book of Wisdom by Solomon is this: “What gives life meaning?”

Solomon says that God has laid a burden, or weight, on men. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” One of the recurring themes of Ecclesiastes is that so much of life can seem meaningless. We can have great wealth, but it does not satisfy. We can experience all kinds of pleasures, but they don’t give us satisfaction. We can build empires, but then we die. We can have great importance, but we are ultimately forgotten. Over and over, the conclusion is “this too is meaningless.” This is the burden God has placed on men and women.

The key to this enigma is found in the fact that God has set eternity in our hearts. This is the hole in our hearts that no material wealth, relationship, fame, paycheck or pleasure can fill. It is why we can have everything and not be fulfilled. In setting eternity in our hearts, God has created in us a yearning for more. A sense that all the good things of this world cannot satisfy our souls. It is why we ask, “Is this all there is?” or, “Why is my heart restless no matter how beautiful my life is?” The answer is simple: we were made for God and without Him, life has momentary satisfaction but cannot fill the hole in our hearts. He has placed eternity in our hearts, and the only way we can find true satisfaction is by integrating God into all of our lives.  

God created us for Him. He placed in our hearts a yearning for something more, something that only He can satisfy. It is only when we integrate God into all parts of life: marriage, work, relationships, finances, projects and even our pleasures, that life takes on meaning. To the extent that we leave Him out of any area of life, we will not find the satisfaction we seek. That is the ultimate enigma of life. With Him, life makes sense and we find fulfillment. Without Him, life ultimately feels empty and unfulfilled no matter how good our circumstances are.

Don’t try to do life without God. Work on ensuring that He is part of the equation in all areas of your life, and you will find that life is not meaningless, but full of purpose. Always ask the question, where is God in this equation?

PRAYER

Father, I have often tried to do life, or parts of life, without You and missed out on the satisfaction You promise me. Help me to invite You into every area of my life and therefore experience the life and abundant life You promise. Amen.