Special Note: As with last week’s emphasis on Ephesians, this week (and maybe some of next) will focus on Ecclesiastes, my favorite book of the Bible. In particular, I’ll focus on the purpose and meaning of life as discussed by this book. For an overview, see my sermon, Live Life in Light of Death. I encourage you to read one chapter of the book daily to go along with these devotions.

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 8

14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked and wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat and drink and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 8:14-15

The Teacher sure has a keen sense of human nature, doesn’t he? 

We’ve all known the truth of verse 14. It’s not hard to look at the news or even our own lived experience and see how this is true. What’s interesting is his prescription: eat, drink, and be merry!

This sounds like the opposite of yesterday, right? What is The Teacher getting at? 

Ultimately, I have often thought of The Teacher as in pursuit of inner peace. He’s sought after all the things he thought would bring joy and fulfillment, only to find them lacking, calling them havel. He’s worked with people enough to know how much trouble they can be and how often the best laid plays go awry because of someone’s intransigence. He has a deep level of wisdom from reflecting on his lived experience. 

And here, understood in the larger context of chapter 8, we see a truth arising from his lived experience: know what you can control and let go of what you can’t. Can we control that righteous people suffer and the wicked prosper? Absolutely not. We might fantasize about how we can act for justice, but justice is ultimately up to God. We can’t act for justice because we can’t control people, much as we might like to and often as we might fall into the trap of thinking we can. 

The prescription to eat, drink, and be merry is an offer of freedom: freedom that comes from letting go of what we can’t control. Whatever circumstance we face, once we have done what is within our power to do, we should then go enjoy ourselves! In joy, God made us, and for joy, we can exist. The Teacher would have us know that true joy comes from knowing suffering, that true joy comes from understanding what really matters in this life, what will be remembered at our funerals. 

Think
What am I trying to control today that is beyond my control? 

Pray
Give to God whatever it is that you are trying to control but cannot.

Do
What brings you joy naturally? What did God create you to enjoy? Go act for joy today.

Think, Pray, Do. As we respond in faith to scripture, God moves in power through our minds, hearts, and bodies. We are the people of God. Thanks for reading today. Go in peace. Amen.

Think, Pray, Do devotionals by Ted Goshorn follow the suggested bible reading plan from his website and book, Prayer Changes Us. Find this Bible reading plan at tedgoshorn.org/biblereading. If you have found today’s devotion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe for daily emails at tedgoshorn.org and share with others that we may think, pray, and do faithfully.