King Solomon’s Warning

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  12/31/21

Consider for a moment an average person in an average home who wakes up early in the morning to beat everyone into the shower so that he can get ready and get on the road to get to work on time. He works hard all day and then jumps back into the car to beat the traffic home so he can sit down to eat and watch television. He sets his alarm and goes to bed so he can begin the whole process all over again. Does this life sound familiar?

In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon says that there is nothing new under the sun. There is monotony, he writes, and there is boredom in our lives. But a life lived with God, in fellowship with Him, under His authority, is a life of joy and fulfillment. All humans can live a life of emptiness, boredom, and meaninglessness living without God, or they can experience a life full of joy, excitement, and contentment when they live it with Him.

Throughout Ecclesiastes, Solomon warns us saying, “Please, do not go where I went. Please, be forewarned about living your life the wrong way. Learn from my failures, and do not make the mistakes I have made. Live in fellowship with God. Live under the authority of God.” He says the temptations we will face in life are not worth the trouble they will cause and cautions us against falling prey to them.

Prayer: God, I’m tired of living a boring, monotonous life. I want to experience the joy and contentment that come from a life lived with You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11).