Daily Devotions
Ecclesiastes
"So I commended enjoyment"
Text: Ecclesiastes 8:15
ENJOYING THE LIFE WE ARE GIVEN
As Solomon struggled with understanding the many anomalies of life, he figured that one should enjoy the life that God has given to man. This approach is both sane and sound.
“So I commended enjoyment,
because a man has nothing better under the sun
than to eat, drink, and be merry;
for this will remain with him in his labour all the days of his life
which God gives him under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 8:15
1. “So I commended enjoyment”
a) The word “enjoyment” is be contrasted against
i) Worrying
ii) Feeling frustrated
iii) Being overwhelmed by the problems of life
b) No wrong is attached to the word “enjoyment”.
i) The believer must not be a “killjoy” person.
ii) Life was not meant to be glum and lacking in joy.
2. “Because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry”
a) “Nothing better”
i) This is a statement of validation.
ii) It is also a word of encouragement and exhortation.
b) “Eat, drink, and be merry”
i) These are the normal things of life.
ii) This is not to be mistaken/ misapplied as “carousing”.
iii) Life was meant to be fully enjoyed doing “normal things”.
3. “For this will remain with him in his labour all the days of his life which God gives him
under the sun”
a) Labouring will be a part of our daily life.
b) Labouring and enjoying the fruit of our labour.
i) This is God’s will for man.
ii) It is wonderful to be able to labour and make a living for oneself and
family.
iii) It is also a blessing to be able to utilise what we are blessed with to enjoy
the life we have on earth.
4. One does not know when and how life would end
a) It could happen suddenly.
b) It could happen unexpectedly.
c) It could even happen tragically.
Thus, we must learn how to live each day, enjoying what we have been blessed with by God!