Legalists say that we can't enjoy God and the world at the same time, that something is wrong if we are satisfied in this life. People in the ditch on the other side of the road advise us to forget God and to make happiness the center of our lives. But God's word, in its vast wisdom, teaches us how to thread this needle - how to enjoy the good gifts of God without turning those gifts into gods themselves.

Let's just admit that life can be pretty rough. Daily disappointments seem to accumulate, leading us to gradually retreat from each other and from God. The people who care for us the most begin to feel like outsiders and strangers. Or maybe you feel like you are the outsider. Maybe you're watching a loved one or close friend wither under the weight of this world. What now?

Some people enjoy long and prosperous lives with little adversity. Others endure severe hardship. But most people, it seems, live somewhere in between: obscure, seemingly pointless lives. This means we're all on a journey searching for something that will complete us...bring us enduring joy...help us sleep soundly at night. What is that one thing we all have to have, no matter our income bracket or where we live? What is the one thing our souls crave more than anything else? And what is that one thing we must have that will protect us from the world around us which is so imposing? The answer may surprise you.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has put eternity into every person's heart. Yet we don't know what's going to happen in the next hour! We want so badly to know what lies ahead - a long life or a life shortened by sickness; happiness or pain; marital bliss or loneliness; financial security or ruin. We're even tormented by the mundane questions like how the Grizzlies will perform in the playoffs! Why does a God of love allow us to endure life with so many questions? "The Preacher" in Ecclesiastes answers this question loud and clear. And his answer - assuming we open our hearts to him - will bring us hope and clarity for the rest of our lives.

Ecclesiastes is a God-inspired book that asks and answers one question: What can we do to ensure that we will enjoy a long, healthy, happy life? Many of us work hard to achieve these things. And as soon as we think we've got it figured out, reality usually slaps us in the face. We realize that we don't have very much leverage in this life at all. So what do we do? Despair? Ignore reality and blindly pursue pleasure? Use religion to suppress these unsettling feelings? Or is there perhaps a better way? God has an answer to this question that may surprise you.