Look Inside. Look Around. What do you see? Show Me! #20

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. 9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

These is the concluding chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes, an attempt to find meaning and purpose in life "under the sun."  Even the title sounds intimidating, though it simply means a "calling together" of people to hear, to listen to what the writer has learned after much living and much learning, "under the sun". The picture is that our picture is extremely limited from the human perspective.  It is easy to get lost on one's way, wandering and wondering if their is any purpose and meaning in life. There is, but only when we look beyond the Sun and everything it reveals, To God, His Word, and His purposes. So, what are we to do? First: accept our limitations; realize we cannot know it all or do it all. Secondly, as a follow up to Proverbs, live by that wisdom; fear God and keep His commandments   And start now; don't wait; stop holding out for something better; do it when you're young, or at least before you get any older. God really does have a great life for you to live, and a greater life after, if you'll trust Him. Look around you with a different set of eyes.  Listen for the birds and the grasshoppers and especially the voice of God. Smell the roses, the coffee and the scent of a loved one. Taste and see that the Lord is Good.  Take a picture; show me, tell me, how life lived under the sun can be a great adventure when you include the One above it.