Currently reading Ecclesiastes – Solomon did not find lasting satisfaction
in works. Life is meaningless without God. Works,
building, etc. are worthless unless for someone’s benefit, either man’s, God’s
or God’s creation benefit…for God. Happiness is not found in the
things of this world if only for their own sake. Purpose, meaning,
joy, fulfillment all has to come from God. If there is no God, all
of life is without worth except what our bodies and selves put on it, and that is not lasting. Only in God, eternal life and service to
him is there ultimate meaning. Still, there are preferences and
interests that we acquire and/or are born with; for example, I like to write,
fly, ski, and I like boats and being on them and being at sea.
Reading Ecclesiastes, God sets the patterns of our
lives: birth, death, planting, pulling up, killing, healing, sorrow,
joy, kissing, not kissing, finding, losing, tearing, mending, silence, talk,
love, hate, war and peace. All people will experience these things,
we are individuals, but the framework of life as a human being will encompass
all these things. To some extent, we are judged on how we handle
them and what we do in our lives, but we can only know what God wants and do
it, through his Spirit, and spirits (angels in his service). There
are spirits galore and each has its plan and purpose to take us down their
roads for their selfish purposes….even as they give us
pleasure. Only God and those spirits in his services, act for
our total good coupled with his love for others.
Much of our lives with other persons involves, in some way, the
shared experience of life. Loved ones and friends share much of or a
specific part of our lives. Literature, movies, art share the
experience/impression and exploration of the meaning of life.
The Bible is about God, his life, his wants, and our interaction
with him, as well as what life is to be coupled with him. We are allowed
pleasures, joy, and meaning, as well as service to him. David and
Solomon, while having other issues, also enjoyed life and explored it…Solomon
especially, but he lost the God focus in his activities that would have made
them meaningful. Still, Solomon lived to the full in his pursuit of
life on earth. That is allowed, and is of some value to God and
mankind. Also, Solomon noted the injustices, etc. and wrote of them. He
had eyes in his head to see what was happening even in Israel under his
rule. He pondered all these things. I get enjoyment
out of exploring life through literature and considering existence from the
creative standpoint.
The New Testament is about being right with God through Jesus and
relationships with believers and others, as well as God’s behavioral standards and
relationship policies/morals in the real context of good and evil.
