more love than you can fit in your heart

The Word for today:
Ecclesiastes 9:1-10:7


Ecclesiastes shows us a man in pursuit of something--anything--that will lend his life a sense of meaning.

He tries it all, but nothing fills the emptiness he feels inside.

He samples this philosophy and that religion. He tries them on for size, and for a while things seem to fit. But eventually each new thing proves to be just another false start, and his unrequited longing for rhyme and reason returns.

So he adopts yet another philosophy or lifestyle in an attempt to fill the void.  He adopts one thing after another, the same ones we resort to today:

Hedonism: The pleasure principle (2:1).

Materialism: "He who has the most toys…" (2:9-10).

Fatalism: One event happens to them all (2:14; 9:2).

Ideology: Systems of thought (2:12a).

Rejection of ‘establishment’ assumptions (2:12a).

Existentialism: Going with the flow, in the moment, the right now:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (3:1-4)

Religion: Working your way to God (chapter 5).

Stoicism: Indifferent acceptance of “Whatever…” (7:15)

The status quo/the happy medium. (7:16-17)

"The almighty $." (10:19)

Nihilism. (11:8)

Each one of these, in turn, failed the author of Ecclesiastes--just as they fail us now.

***

In an attempt to impose some shape on your existence, you might have tried the whole list.

So when your current attempt fails you, try this:
Taste and see that the LORD is good.  (Psalm 34:8)

You've tried one thing after another, and nothing measured up to your hopes. But when you meet Jesus Christ, you'll find something bigger than your thoughts can contain.  You'll find more love than you can fit in your heart.