5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

Put your hope in God and live, or seek pleasure and you are already dead. That pretty much sums up what these 2 verses say. They are specifically referencing widows, but they apply to everyone.

It's fair to say that the greater the need, the more someone senses their need for the Lord. When you "have it all" (which applies to the vast majority of people in our culture), it breeds an independence and high arrogance - what do I need God for? I'm doing just fine on my own!

If you do a Google search for "pleasures of life," you will find article after article with such intriguing titles as "35 of life's simple pleasures to cherish every day," and "101 simple pleasures in life." The list is endless, but the ideas are

• That first sip of coffee in the morning

• Taking a bath

• The sunset

• Clothes fresh out of the dryer

• Sleeping in

• Dining by candle light

• Freshly baked cookies

You get the idea. But that can't be what Paul is writing about.

I think it's more, "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!" kind of pleasures.