Ecclesiastes Chapter 3: Verses 11-14 (NIV-UK)
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure for ever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
God gave Solomon great wisdom in answer to his prayer. Solomon then set out to use that wisdom to test out what it was that would make man happy. He tells us in the preceding chapters of Ecclesiastes that he tried all the things that we think will make us happy; all sorts of pleasures like relationships, wealth and even a career and prosperous business. He concluded that wealth, prosperity and even relationships were not the key to true happiness. I think the answer is recorded in these verses.
He tells us that God has made everything beautiful in its time. Therefore, we shouldn’t try to make our own standard for what we think is beautiful or ‘perfect’. Everything God does is perfect, and everlasting, therefore we shouldn’t waste time trying to tinker with things that we as humans can’t improve. God’s intention for us is to work hard, and to the best of our ability, be satisfied with what we have, and do good when we can. That’s how God wants us to live, acknowledging Him in all that we do. That’s not hard or complicated. If we strip things back to basics and learn from what Solomon says, we will be so much happier.
Dear Lord,
I am grateful for every blessing I have received from You. Help me to be content to live as You intend without trying to complicate matters by trying to do things for myself. Your ways are perfect and though I may not always understand what Your plans are for me, I know that I can’t improve on them. Thank You for Your goodness and grace. Amen.