Life Is Brief But Beautiful
“I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 8:15
On Sunday night at our fourth of July celebration, this verse came to my mind and brought a smile on my face. It was so much fun watching the expressions of all the faces as I looked around and talking with everyone.
Let me go record as saying - this life is good! This life is rewarding! This life is full of different experiences that put smiles on our faces and puts satisfaction in our hearts! Sometimes Christians tend to look down on this life forgetting that God has placed us here to enjoy it.
The writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes starts out his very practical book with these words, “Meaningless, meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” Or some might know it as, “Vanity, vanity…all is vanity!”
The Hebrew word for “meaningless” or “vanity” is “hevel,” which translates literally to “smoke” or “vapor”. Hevel appears 38 times in Ecclesiastes to communicate that “life under the sun” is temporary with its sunbaked hardships, but also it’s filled with heartwarming joy and contentment. It is so true that one moment we see life before us, but then when the wind changes, life just vanishes! Yes, life is uncertain and confusing like a mystery, but unbelievably fulfilling in so many ways.
I think Solomon repeatedly uses the word “smoke” or “vapor” so he can emphasize the shortness of this life. Just imagine for a moment 60, 70, 80, 90 years and then this life is gone. But then imagine 60, 70, 80, 90 years of life without God, but now magnify the thought of the afterlife (eternity) without God!
Would you agree that this life we all experience is empty and meaningless without a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ? I don’t care how many cars in the garage, clothes in the closet, or money in the bank – life without God is not really life, biblically and truthfully speaking!
The life Jesus offers to all of us can only be apprehended and applied in this life! The next life is too late! There are no second chances, no re-do’s, and no timeouts in eternity!
Jesus said, “I have come to give you life and life more abundantly.” What is radically different with Jesus’ statement and any other religious leader – Jesus offers life from outside of our selves – that’s unheard of in religious teaching! I’m challenging all of us to experience life from outside of the shallow silhouette of self and tap into the deep reservoir of redemption!
Too many people think that Jesus came to only gives us life in the afterlife, but He came so we could live right now! He didn’t come so we could just have a permanent address in heaven; He came so we could have a powerful impact on earth. I think Jesus would sum up His life on earth this way, “I didn’t just come to give you life after death, I came to give you life before death.”
Join us this Sunday as we begin our new exciting series “More To Life”.
God bless you,
Pastor Dave
On Sunday night at our fourth of July celebration, this verse came to my mind and brought a smile on my face. It was so much fun watching the expressions of all the faces as I looked around and talking with everyone.
Let me go record as saying - this life is good! This life is rewarding! This life is full of different experiences that put smiles on our faces and puts satisfaction in our hearts! Sometimes Christians tend to look down on this life forgetting that God has placed us here to enjoy it.
The writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes starts out his very practical book with these words, “Meaningless, meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” Or some might know it as, “Vanity, vanity…all is vanity!”
The Hebrew word for “meaningless” or “vanity” is “hevel,” which translates literally to “smoke” or “vapor”. Hevel appears 38 times in Ecclesiastes to communicate that “life under the sun” is temporary with its sunbaked hardships, but also it’s filled with heartwarming joy and contentment. It is so true that one moment we see life before us, but then when the wind changes, life just vanishes! Yes, life is uncertain and confusing like a mystery, but unbelievably fulfilling in so many ways.
I think Solomon repeatedly uses the word “smoke” or “vapor” so he can emphasize the shortness of this life. Just imagine for a moment 60, 70, 80, 90 years and then this life is gone. But then imagine 60, 70, 80, 90 years of life without God, but now magnify the thought of the afterlife (eternity) without God!
Would you agree that this life we all experience is empty and meaningless without a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ? I don’t care how many cars in the garage, clothes in the closet, or money in the bank – life without God is not really life, biblically and truthfully speaking!
The life Jesus offers to all of us can only be apprehended and applied in this life! The next life is too late! There are no second chances, no re-do’s, and no timeouts in eternity!
Jesus said, “I have come to give you life and life more abundantly.” What is radically different with Jesus’ statement and any other religious leader – Jesus offers life from outside of our selves – that’s unheard of in religious teaching! I’m challenging all of us to experience life from outside of the shallow silhouette of self and tap into the deep reservoir of redemption!
Too many people think that Jesus came to only gives us life in the afterlife, but He came so we could live right now! He didn’t come so we could just have a permanent address in heaven; He came so we could have a powerful impact on earth. I think Jesus would sum up His life on earth this way, “I didn’t just come to give you life after death, I came to give you life before death.”
Join us this Sunday as we begin our new exciting series “More To Life”.
God bless you,
Pastor Dave
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