ENJOY LIFE

Eccl 2:4-11
4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned great herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!
9 So I became greater than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. And with it all, I remained clear-eyed so that I could evaluate all these things. 10 Anything I wanted, I took. I did not restrain myself from any joy. I even found great pleasure in hard work, an additional reward for all my labors. 11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. NLT
** Solomon had EVERYTHING anyone would ever want. You name it, he had it! And isn’t it true that almost everyone has run and is running after the very same things that Solomon had? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said or I’ve heard people say, “if I only had this or that then everything would be great.” Or, “what would you do with a million dollars?” Solomon had this AND that and he had much more than a million dollars and then more and yet his life as he describes above is so meaningless. But there is hope! Notice that in the next verse he finds real meaning to life:
Eccl 2:24-25 24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? NLTWithout God there is no pleasure or satisfaction… no wonder the rolling stones could get no satisfaction because they didn’t know the true and living God Jesus Christ. So as Solomon said “lives come and lives go” and the only things that really last are those things that are build upon God and His foundation…. Enjoy Life!