Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes is both
profound and pragmatic. This dual characteristic is what makes it so beneficial
for the everyday person. It speaks of Solomon attempting to determine what in this
life will be fulfilling for human beings to spend their time and efforts on. In
chapter 3:11, he makes a statement that helps us to understand what will allow
us to live truly fulfilled lives: “He has also set eternity in the human heart”
He is making the case that we are
more than animals, which are merely interested in attaining what is life sustaining
– food and the absence of danger. We may have these in abundance, as well as
many other comforts, but they are not enough – we remain empty inside. This is
because eternity is set in our hearts. We are programmed by God to understand
that there is more than this transient life, and we set out to understand it.
Many do like Solomon, seek after wisdom, folly, mirth, fame, fortune, or sheer
materialism. However, these things do not fulfill us because they are unable
to.
The only way for us to be fulfilled
is to understand the eternity that God has set in our hearts. He desires that
we understand our own mortality, that this physical life will come to an end.
He also desires that we know that we have a part that is eternal – the spirit.
This is the part of us that really counts and no amount of paying attention to
temporal things will affect it. The only thing that will truly make a lasting, actually
everlasting, difference in us is to diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6). Only God can fill the
void that is in mankind and give him meaning. So seek Him through His Word.
Solomon ends his endeavor with a
very simple plea, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty
of man.” However, seeking Him is not mystical or vague. It is straightforward
and simple – “obey His commandments”. We aren’t left to grope in the dark for
meaning, or to guess what God desires. So seek His will today, obey Him, and
have the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Php 4:7).
Have a blessed day!
