More to the Story - Chapte 13
Solomon

It's All Meaningless, a "Chasing After the Wind" 

"I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes 1:13-14(NIV)

Reflection

When I turned to Christ in my early 30’s one of the first books of the Bible that I read was Ecclesiastes, the authorship of which is attributed to Solomon. It’s contents hit me hard and true. I identified with almost entirely with it’s basic premise, which is that life apart from God is completely meaningless. Solomon uses the word “meaningless” 35 times. At the time I read the book I was at the end of my rope, depressed and hopeless and everything he wrote rang true for me.  

I remember thinking that Ecclesiastes could be a manifesto for the mid twentieth century existentialists (maybe you’ve read some of things that Albert Camus or Franz Kafka wrote about the hopelessness of life).  

However, for me the really big thing was (and I am convinced that this can only come from God) the conviction that meaninglessness cannot be all there is, that there has to be more. And indeed there is. If you read Ecclesiastes’ final 2 verses you may not be overwhelmed by joyful hope. I wasn’t, but I knew that Solomon was telling me that I was right, that meaninglessness is not all there is, not by a long shot. 

Prayer
 
Lord, prevent me from entering 2012 with no new hopes and dreams. Protect me from living out the “same old, same old”. Although Solomon tells us that “there is nothing new under sun”, yet it is also true that what remains undiscovered under the sun is immense and good and available. Lord, please reveal more of yourself and your Grace to me and my family than we can ever deserve. In the name of Jesus whose resurrection makes all things possible. Amen”