Category: Wisdom

King Solomon was a man who had everything. Money, fame, women, power… you name it, he had it. All the comforts and pleasures of the world were at his fingertips. I Kings 11:3 tells us he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. I Kings 4:34 says that every king on earth knew of Solomon’s great wisdom. His wealth (in today’s dollars) is estimated to have been around 2.2 trillion (yes trillion, with a “t“).

Like all human beings, Solomon wanted to know, “What’s life all about? What am I doing here? What should I be doing during my time on Earth?” The book of Ecclesiastes documents Solomon’s search for meaning in his life.

…I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

Ecclesiastes 2:3

Solomon had the resources to live the kind of life we can only dream about. Yet, towards the end of his life, Solomon describes all that he owned and all that he accomplished with these words:

Meaningless! Meaningless! … Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 1:2

Keeping it real.

Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Solomon smashes the rose-colored glasses, and describes life as it really is. Read Ecclesiastes when you have time. It’s short, and well worth your time. In the meantime, here’s a summary of what Solomon had to say:

• Life is monotonous (Ecc. 1:5-11)
• Life is a burden (Ecc. 1:13 / Ecc. 3:10)
• Life is unjust (Ecc. 3:16 / Ecc. 4:1-3)
• Life is unfair (Ecc. 2:21 / Ecc. 8:14 / Ecc. 9:11 / Ecc. 10:6-7)
• Life is unpredictable (Ecc. 9:12 / Ecc. 8:7-8 / Ecc. 10:8-9)
• Pleasure does not satisfy (Ecc. 2:1)
• Success does not satisfy (Ecc. 2:4-11)
• Wealth does not satisfy (Ecc. 5:10)
• Knowledge/wisdom do not satisfy (Ecc. 1:18 / Ecc. 2:12-16)
• Youth and vigor are fleeting (Ecc. 11:10)
• Death gets us all in the end (Ecc. 9:3 / Ecc. 3:19 / Ecc. 2:14 / Ecc. 12: 6-7)

The hard truth is, nothing in this world can truly satisfy you. How many people have you known (or known of) that seem to “have it all” but are miserable and unfulfilled? What percentage of the rich and famous spend their days trying to numb their pain with sex, drugs, alcohol, or other vices?

If all this harsh reality bums you out, hang in there! The good news is coming.

Where is meaning to be found?

Solomon went down every road this world has to offer, and each was a dead end. However, sprinkled throughout Ecclesiastes are markers that show the path that leads to meaning and fulfillment. Here are two examples:

This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.

Ecclesiastes 5:18

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

There are several verses that have this theme of “it is good to eat, drink, and toil.” (For more examples, see: Ecc. 9:7-9 / Ecc. 2:24-25 / Ecc. 3:22 / Ecc. 5:12) The idea is this: The people who find meaning and satisfaction in life are those who whole-heartedly do what God put them on the Earth to do.

To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness…

Ecclesiastes 2:26a

 They [those who do God’s will] seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:20

God has a specific plan and purpose for your life, and the closer you follow His plan, the more satisfied you will be. To know his specific plan for you life, you must seek Him in prayer and study His Word, but if you’re looking for a place to start, Solomon offers that in his conclusion:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

So, if you’re feeling unfulfilled; if everything seems “meaningless, meaningless, meaningless!” then seek out God’s plan for your life and follow it with all your might! Fear Him. Keep His commandments. This is how you will find purpose and meaning in your life.

Over the years, I developed a habit of starting most of my prayers in a similar fashion. Almost without thinking, I would pray, “Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Please give me the wisdom and strength I need to do whatever it is you have for me to do.”

This isn’t a bad way to start a prayer, but something I recently read in scripture caused me to stop and think about it more deeply. Specifically, it caused me to reflect on the part where I ask God for wisdom.

An unexpected find.

I was reading through Job. The book tells of the awful tragedies Job endured, and a large part of the book is dialogue: first between Job and his friends, and finally between Job and God.

But chapter 28 takes a surprising break from the story. In my Bible (NIV), at the head of chapter 28, it says: Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found. I thought this was strange, and it really made me sit up and pay attention. I encourage you to take a couple of minutes right now and read Job 28.

Beyond compare.

Job 28 reminds us that men will go to great lengths to acquire precious things. They will dig and drill and mine deep into the earth to acquire rare gems. They will sweat and bleed for silver and gold. Wisdom is said to be more valuable than these things, but do we prize it as such? Do we pursue it with the same fervor? “Not I,” I thought.

It dawned on me as I read these verses that I did not fully appreciate the value of wisdom! I had been casually, almost flippantly asking God for wisdom. I wondered, “why would God give me something of such great worth if I don’t truly understand or appreciate its value?”

Imagine a king with his very young child. The toddler asks their father for a giant ruby or diamond. Is the king going to hand it over? Of course not! Not because he doesn’t love the child, but because the child doesn’t comprehend the value of what they are asking for. The child can’t make proper use of it. They’re not ready.

A new approach.

I still ask God for wisdom, and it’s important to do so. The Bible says:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 1:5

But now that I have a better grasp of what I’m asking for, I ask in a different way. I ask God to help me grow and mature so that I can make use of the wisdom He gives me. I don’t want to be like a child that admires a ruby because of its sparkle and then carelessly sets it aside. Instead, I want to be a responsible prince that accepts the King’s ruby and then uses it for His glory.

How about you? What value do you ascribe to wisdom? Are you ready to make use of the wisdom God gives you?