Daily Devotions
August 29th, 2016 by Pastor SolleyEccl 2:1-11 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
KJV
Solomon won the game but lost the war. There are many people who follow the path of Solomon given in Eccl chapter two today with the very same result, they win the game but lose the war. What do I mean by that? Solomon began to look for things to satisfy his life, and he found all the things that the world has to offer, he won the game of life if you would. Notice that nothing was kept from him. (Verse 10) That is the game of life to most people today. Get as much as you can, do as much as you can, be successful, have hundreds and hundreds of friends on face book, be married to the cell phone, eat drink and be merry, win the game. I had someone tell me one time that the meaning of life was found in getting as many toys as you can, live as reckless as you can, and die happy. Solomon did all that, yet we see the totality of this live in verse 10, vanity and vexation of spirit. Solomon was a miserable man, no joy, no peace, no contentment. He won the game, but he lost the war. How many are like that today, even in our churches and so called Christian families, how many are like Solomon? They are not as rich as he was, do not have as many toys as he did, but they walk the path of Solomon and where does it get them? The same place it got Solomon. Could there be a better way, does life have to be empty and meaningless? That answer is yes? Did Solomon ever find that way? That answer is yes as well and we will see that tomorrow. For today ask yourself is you are following the path as Solomon to the same end that we see in verse 10.