Gladness of Heart

DEVOTION

ECCLESIASTES

GLADNESS OF HEART

Eccl 5:13-20

13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

Wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,   14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. 15 Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind? 17 All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.

18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him — for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work — this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

NIV

Although we are very aware that many times the scripture speaks of the danger of chasing after wealth, here Solomon, under the inspiration of the Lord, says wealth is actually harmful to its owner. Why is that? What harm can there be in having some extra money? It may not be harmful to have a little extra, but it appears this is speaking to greed. The constant chasing after wealth, the hoarding of it, trying always to find ways to gain more. Some have chased after wealth to their death and to what gain? In the more modern times many have invested their money in an effort to gain more without laboring for it. This can also cause wealth lost through some misfortune. Although it is true the wealthy have a more personal possessions and far better and bigger than we have, they still leave it all behind as we do. It would also appear they enjoy life with all the trappings of wealth. What the point seems to be is that we cannot make wealth an idol for it is just good for the temporary span of life in the world. Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven. We have even struggled getting a tiny thread through the eye of a needle, and know it would be no harder, but impossible to get a camel through it. Sure, some have tried to make the case that Jesus was taking about some gate to the city which when closed only had a small opening one man at a time could still enter. But that is false teaching. Jesus meant the eye of a sewing needle, the Greek words bear that out. Wealth has its way of becoming the god of people and thus prohibit them from seeing the kingdom of God. That is harsh. But anything which becomes an idol replaces faith in God, especially wealth, because it is too easy to put our trust in wealth. So how should we live? First we have to seek first the kingdom of God above all else. There can be nothing worth as much as that. In all reality we are born naked with nothing and we leave naked, with nothing. Everything in between is vanity, meaningless, unless we are pursuing God. Solomon gives this advice to us about how to live with gladness of heart. First he tells those who chase after wealth they eat all the days of their lives in darkness, with great frustration affliction and anger. Wow, that is harsh, just because they wanted wealth instead of God. But for us we are to just enjoy each day, enjoy our labor, our jobs, and our work. Enjoy the food on our table and the drink in our mouths. We are to find satisfaction in our labor, it is a gift from God. Even for those who God does give wealth and possessions, and as a side note, in comparison to many people we are wealthy and have many possessions. True, there are a lot who have far more than we do, but still when we look around we have much to enjoy. Yet there is a difference. What do they reflect on and what do we reflect on? If we sit around reflecting on wealth and possession we see we need more and desire to increase our wealth and possession. We become occupied in the pursuit of more, we have to have enough to enjoy whatever we what now as well as enough to store up for later years. It becomes an obsession, it dominates our thinking, our reason to work. This is that danger which leads to the frustration, affliction and anger, eating in darkness. But, when God provides us with wealth and possession it is because we chose to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and so we do not have to sit and reflect on our wealth, we do not always look to our wealth for support, or trust in it because God keeps us occupied with gladness of heart.