Searching for the meaning of life III

ByPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
Welcome, dear friends, to „Daily Word for Spiritual Edification”! We have been talking about search for the meaning of life. We are using the life of Solomon, the son of David as our example. Solomon was the wisest person on earth. We saw that in the beginning of his life Solomon obtained wisdom and riches, because he loved God and knew Him. But there came a time in his life, when he forsook God and followed other gods. At that time Solomon tried to satisfy his soul with different things; he looked for happiness in different places. Eventually, Solomon realized that it is impossible to be happy and satisfied in this life without God. Yesterday we saw that Solomon attempted to find satisfaction in education, knowledge and wisdom. And he did succeed in this area; but at the end he came to conclusion that „all is vanity and grasping for the wind”! It is so important to realize that knowledge on the horizontal level – under heaven – without ‘vertical’ knowledge of God – Who is above heaven and is the Creator of life – is vanity and emptiness. A man might know a lot, but he won’t be able to explain things of this life, won’t be able to obtain genuine moral values. Only God gives that ability. Today we will look at Solomon’s attempt to find happiness and satisfaction in fun and pleasures of life.
«I said in my heart, „Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. I said of laughter – „Madness!”; and of mirth, „What does it accomplish?” I searched my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives» (Ecclesiastes, 2:1-3).
 Here we find that Solomon being a rich man could afford anything his soul desired.
 «Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my reward from all my labour»(Ecclesiastes, 2:10).
 Many people say that they only have one life, so they need to “live it to the max”. Solomon also decided to attempt living such a life. But this experience helped him to realize that all of it is vanity and cannot make a person happy.
 «I said in my heart, „Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. I said of laughter – „Madness!”; and of mirth, „What does it accomplish?” I searched my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my reward from all my labour» (Ecclesiastes, 2:1-10).
 Solomon ate different culinary delicacies; nevertheless, it did not make him happy and satisfied. Solomon’s body was fed, but his soul was still hungry.
«All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied», says Solomon (Ecclesiastes, 6:7).
The soul does not find its satisfaction in food. Dear friends! You might think that happiness lies in the ability to buy whatever the heart desires. It is not so! Solomon went through all of it and realized that soul cannot be satisfied with material things. Soul is satisfied only through personal relationships with the living God, with the Creator. That is the only way for a person to obtain happiness and satisfaction in this life. Till tomorrow! Be blessed! Pastor Rufus Ajiboye 

Support us so we can do more

We’ll get right to the point: we’re asking you to help us support our Church online minisry. We’re a nonprofit that relies on support from people like you. If everyone reading this gives €12 monthly, Spirit and Truth city Church can continue to thrive for years.

Similar Posts

  • You have been created, redeemed and restored! You were born twice!

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    We are not only created by God, we are also reworked or recreated by Jesus Christ. We are talking about the opportunity available to sinful people because Christ has come into this world. This is exactly what the letter to Ephesians says:«You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.» (Ephesians 2:1-10).

  • Searching for the meaning of life II

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 7 minutes
    Let’s look at the steps that Solomon took in order to find the meaning of life. We will see what conclusions Solomon came to. The first thing Solomon turned to was acquiring of wisdom and knowledge. «I communed with my heart, saying, „Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.” And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind. For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow» (Ecclesiastes, 1:16-18).

  • Jesus transforms those that follow Him!

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    We continue to speculate on God´s desire to change us for our own benefit. As we stated, by letting God to change us according to His will and following Jesus people around will see a reflection of Heaven in our life and in our ministry.Do you remember when the elders of synagogue, scribes and Sadducees met Jesus disciples after He was resurrected, they faced a supernatural courage in them.

  • How do we know if we have the fear of God in our lives?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    The first way to know this is to understand that the fear of God expresses itself in a hatred of evil.“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (Prov. 8:13) (see also Prov. 3:7; 14:16; 16:6; 23:17; Job. 1:1,8; ; II Cor. 7:1). This is just the opposite of the wicked (Eccl. 8:13—”Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow”). (see also Prov. 1:29; Ps. 36:1-4. ).

  • People willing to worship God effectively meditate of His character

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    Thinking about God and His Majesty, focusing our mind on Him should become something we are constantly worried about. That´s what Jesus taught His disciples. You have to look at God with the eyes of your heart before you open your mouth for prayer.Humble meditation of the God´s character He revealed to us is another way of how to worship Him. We receive His mercy when reading His Word, this, in turn, testifies about God´s character.

  • How God punishes and disciplines His children II

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    «Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards a rebuke will be honoured» (Proverbs, 13:18).We can see once again that financial difficulties in the lives of these people were not sent by God; they were the result of them rejecting the teaching and instruction of the Lord.