Pleasures Forevermore

Read: Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun;
all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” - Ecclesiastes 1:14

KinKKing Solomon spent his time, wealth
and efforts attempting to discover the missing piece in his life.
He sought for true satisfaction in worldly pursuits.
As the King, he had all the resources he needed to ascertain
whatever pleasures he desired.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us the story of his quest. He attempted to gain
 satisfaction in his soul by pursuing
addictions of every kind.

Even with all of his God given wisdom, it took Solomon years to concluded that what the world offers is fun for a season, but eventually every one of his acquisitions turned out the same way. They were all vain and empty. Solomon repeatedly described his investigation as chasing after the wind. He traveled the world to find out what the Psalmist discovered on the hills watching his sheep, “God makes known to us the true path of life; in His presence there is fullness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

When we seek God first, He brings fulfillment to our life in a multitude of areas. He opens doors for us that no one else can open and He closes those that no one else can close. He knows exactly what we need in our life to feel fulfilled. Therefore, our initial pursuit in life is to first become whole in Christ. Then we get grounded in His Word, filled with His Spirit and lost in His love. We need nothing and no one to make us happy apart from Him.

Single people are not "half" a person, nor are they deficient in any way. They do not need another person in their life to fulfill them. They are capable of meeting most of their needs and going to God to supply the rest. Oh the other hand,
when two people who are replete in Christ (Colossians 2: 10) come together in marriage, they
compliment and edify each other
because Christ resides in both of them. They serve Him together and they fulfill His will for their lives. Our relationship with Christ is what really bring us true pleasures forevermore.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, earthly pursuits are vain and fleeting. Teach us to value eternal treasures and to seek Your will for our lives each and every day. Help us to make You the focus of our life and to enhance all of our relationships through your wisdom and love.

Thought for the Day:

Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. – Psalm 144:4

I Want My Own Way

Read: Luke 12:20-31 

"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:" - Matthew 6:20

How often do I reject God's plan for my life and choose to follow the ways of the Satan, the flesh or the world? How often do I disappoint God with my choices? I wonder how often God grants my request, knowing all along that it is not His best plan for me. In my quest for life, do I look for fulfillment in all the wrong places?

God gave the Israelites a prophet to speak to them directly, but they wanted a king instead (1 Samuel 8:5). Eventually, it turned out that their king had to go to the prophet to find out God’s will for them at any given moment. So tell me, why did they need the king? He was merely a middleman. They just wanted a king, so they could be like all the other nations in their world.

Do we marry the wrong person, take the wrong job, go to the wrong school, move into the wrong neighborhood, buy the wrong car and wear the wrong clothes just because we want to be like everyone else in our world? What’s wrong with being different? What’s wrong with putting God first, living out His will for our life, and dressing and living in such a way to give glory and honor to Him? Let’s seek first His kingdom, and He will provide us with every thing that we need.

Prayer:

Lord, when my heart longs to be like the world, I step out of Your will for my life. Help me not to sew to the flesh, because I will most certainly reap destruction. Transform my mind to see things from Your perspective and make me content with Heavenly treasure instead of earth's counterfeit.

Thought for the Day:

When I seek to follow the Spirit’s direction with my life, I may not always see the results, but I know that I am laying up treasures in Heaven.