This post is Day 27 in a series of studies about “Gifts & Giving”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today (the form is at the bottom of the page).

Gifts & Giving – Day 27

Certainly the book of proverbs is full of good advice and encouragement, but Ecclesiastes is different. If we read it straight through, we can think that the author was having a bad day. There is much cynicism and frustration, but we can also read of a search for real meaning.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

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.

The Thought

The wisdom of king Solomon, who is thought to be responsible for Ecclesiastes, is renowned. Certainly the book of proverbs is full of good advice and encouragement, but Ecclesiastes is different. If we read it straight through, we can think that the author was having a bad day. There is much cynicism and frustration, but we can also see the author’s search for real meaning.

This month we are looking at gifts, we see here confirmation that God gives us life, but it is up to us to enjoy that life whatever it brings. Some people seem to have that gift naturally, others of us have to work at it. The verse today suggests that being happy is a decision we make for ourselves.

Yesterday we thought about the full life that Jesus gives to us, the quality of life that we can have even if things don’t go well in earthly terms, and today we have a verse suggesting that God has given us a limited number of days on the earth. By accepting that at face value, we can think that we can do nothing to change it, but the Bible also tells us another story which we will look at tomorrow.

Action

Ask yourself today if you come across to others as an optimist or a pessimist. Is your proverbial sack half full or half empty?

Make the decision to be happy today, think about good things and don’t let you mind focus on the bad. Tell yourself that God is still on His throne, trust Him to sort your problems.

Pray for those you know living in sad circumstances right now.