God Gives Joy and Contentment

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Scripture: Ecclesiastes 8:15 (ESV)

15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

Devotion:

            The writer of Ecclesiastes offers real, down-to-earth wisdom. Today, we see him extolling the virtues of joy and contentment. The writer seems to be saying that these are God-given gifts to all people if they will receive them. The writer admits that we have to toil in perhaps not the most pleasant tasks. At the end of the day, however, God rewards all His children with joy and contentment in their eating, drinking, and relaxing.

            In the 21st century, however, we are told that joy and contentment are for fools. Meaning is to be found not in passive enjoyment but in activities of all kinds. Eating and drinking are necessary evils imposed upon us by nature, and they are not to be enjoyed but tolerated. We are told that joy is overrated and only momentary pleasures must be undertaken to lead a happy and fulfilled life.

            This 21st-century life is proving to be empty and hollow. Poll after poll and survey after survey shows that we are less satisfied with life and that younger people are more unhappy and unsatisfied than their elders. The enjoyment of drugs, sex, and rock-n-roll does not satisfy us in the way we hoped it would. Something is missing, but we cannot quite identify this missing element. The writer of Ecclesiastes speaks into the modern discontentment with a voice of ancient wisdom.

            Enjoying a meal and good company seems to always make us happy. Why don’t we do these things more often? Our culture has fallen for fast food. Screen time now makes up the majority of our day. Either at work or at leisure, it seems we cannot escape the allure that modern life holds out as the key to happiness. This scripture tells us that God gives us enjoyment of the true pleasures of life. So. what, then, is the source of our unhappiness and discontentment?

            The flesh, the world, and the devil sow unhappiness and discontentment among us. They show us pleasures and ways of life that seem to offer good things but, in reality, offer only dullness and dryness for humanity's soul. If we would be joyful and content, we must look to the ancient wisdom in Ecclesiastes. We should eat, drink, and be cheerful, for we do not know what tomorrow may bring.

Prayer:

            God in heaven, thank you for the words of wisdom you have given us in this ancient book. Forgive us for seeking pleasure and happiness in the latest fad or fashion. Strengthen us as it is hard to resist what the world offers. Let us remember that good food and good conversation cannot be improved by adding modern technology to the mix. Let us partake of the food and drink you have provided with joy because tomorrow is not promised to us. Let us enjoy today for the gift it is. Amen 

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