Anglican Devotional 11 November 2023 – Life Is A Pursuit Of Vanity

The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 11 November 2023 – Life Is A Pursuit Of Vanity

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TOPIC: Life Is A Pursuit Of Vanity

READ: Ecclesiastes 6 (NKJV)

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it [is] common among men:

A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil affliction.

If a man begets a hundred [children] and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say [that] a stillborn child [is] better than he —

for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

6:

Though it has not seen the sun or known [anything,] this has more rest than that man,

even if he lives a thousand years twice — but has not seen goodness. Do no t all go to one place?

All the labor of man [is] for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied.

For what more has the wise [man] than the fool? What does the poor man have, Who knows [how] to walk before the living?

Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also [is] vanity and grasping for the wind.

Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he [is] man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.

Since there are many things that increase vanity, How [is] man the better?

For who knows what [is] good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

THE MESSAGE:

King Solomon, the writer of today’s text, gave a comprehensive description of the vanity of a man’s pursuit outside God. He made it clear that there is nothing under the sun that can offer satisfaction for man (verse 3). King Solomon started his reign with God – his life was pleasing to God and he was blessed with riches of the earth. He had all the knowledge, skill, wisdom, wealth and prestige a man could imagine. When it came to life’s experiences, he had seen, acquired and enjoyed it all, but at the end, he came to a conclusion that what a man is pursuing in life outside God is vanity. He confirmed this by saying “A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honour, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction” (verse 2).

Beloved, all your acquisition cannot give the joy and satisfaction you desire. Chasing after power, position, pleasure and prestige can only give momentary happiness. The more you pursue these, the more you will be far from God. The farther you are away from God, the more your life will be open to the attacks of the devil. Only the life lived in Christ is profitable and rewarding. Your bank accounts can be full; you can also build magnificent houses in several towns or cities your dream; again, you can be occupying a prominent position in the society today, but all of these are meaningless. Make the Lord Jesus your life’s pursuit. Every other thing will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

PRAYER: Lord, help me to pursue things that will give me a place in Your eternal kingdom at the end of my race on earth, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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