Daughter, wish you’d come pull off my boots.”
–Ernest Haycox (The Border Legion)
“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”
–1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV)
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What are you doing with the life that God has given you? Are you restless or are you satisfied? Are you depressed or are you hopeful? Solomon says that to live a satisfied life it must be filled with goodness. So then, are you good, or are you wicked? Contemplate with me, the verses from Ecclesiastes.
“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. 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 not all go to one place?”
–Ecclesiastes 6:3-6 (NKJV)
Think on those words! A stillborn child is better off than the man who has lived his life poorly. “If life is nothing more than a meaningless journey to death, then a stillborn is better off, for that child reaches the end of the worthless journey with less pain.” (NKJV Study Bible)
We need to come to reality as we walk through this life. We need to seek to help others along the way, if in no other way than a smile. As a Christian we need to start living like a child of God now, today. It is not enough to start to plan to live–start living. Paul writes, “…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” (Philippians 4:11). Content in this verse means “self-contained, adequate, needing nothing from the outside.” We worry and fret far too often over nothing simply because we are not content with our lives. We have, and we want more… We travel this journey but we don’t see anything along the way. Maybe we’ll make it to a joyful end, maybe not.
Robert Louis Stevenson said, “To arrive is better than to travel hopefully.” Many people have dreams, or maybe I should call them fantasies. But look closely at those dreams–are they realistic? Realism has nothing to do with a life of faith. In fact, just the opposite, a life of faith is what gets us through reality. Dreams don’t fill empty stomachs. By that I mean that many individuals have a dream, but they don’t work along the way. They live in a cloud, not able to see the land below.
I do want to point out one difference from New Testament thinking that Solomon could not have recognized. Before the resurrection of Jesus all who died when to Sheol–the place of the dead. It was a dark, gloomy place where the soul either rested or was tormented. Remember, the story of the rich man who died and the beggar Lazarus. Lazarus rested in Abraham’s bosom while the rich man was tormented in the flames. When Solomon wrote in verse 6, “Do not all go to one place?” that was true then. And to an extent that is true today for all go to the grave. However, now the believer upon death, the soul goes to be with the Lord. Paul writes, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV)
Therefore, it is important that we live a good life. Upon death it should be our hope, our utmost desire to hear the words of the Lord, “well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25,21, 23) Living a good life will not get you to heaven, grace is the only way. Accepting the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, recognizing His sacrifice and that He is the Son of God is the way to obtain grace, however, throughout this life we should seek to be faithful and to do good works.
So enjoy this life; let your daughter (or granddaughters) come and pull off your boots. Enjoy a cup of coffee, recognize the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon you and rejoice in them. Be satisfied with the goodness of God.
————————————-
What are you doing with the life that God has given you? Are you restless or are you satisfied? Are you depressed or are you hopeful? Solomon says that to live a satisfied life it must be filled with goodness. So then, are you good, or are you wicked? Contemplate with me, the verses from Ecclesiastes.
“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. 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 not all go to one place?”
–Ecclesiastes 6:3-6 (NKJV)
Think on those words! A stillborn child is better off than the man who has lived his life poorly. “If life is nothing more than a meaningless journey to death, then a stillborn is better off, for that child reaches the end of the worthless journey with less pain.” (NKJV Study Bible)
We need to come to reality as we walk through this life. We need to seek to help others along the way, if in no other way than a smile. As a Christian we need to start living like a child of God now, today. It is not enough to start to plan to live–start living. Paul writes, “…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” (Philippians 4:11). Content in this verse means “self-contained, adequate, needing nothing from the outside.” We worry and fret far too often over nothing simply because we are not content with our lives. We have, and we want more… We travel this journey but we don’t see anything along the way. Maybe we’ll make it to a joyful end, maybe not.
Robert Louis Stevenson said, “To arrive is better than to travel hopefully.” Many people have dreams, or maybe I should call them fantasies. But look closely at those dreams–are they realistic? Realism has nothing to do with a life of faith. In fact, just the opposite, a life of faith is what gets us through reality. Dreams don’t fill empty stomachs. By that I mean that many individuals have a dream, but they don’t work along the way. They live in a cloud, not able to see the land below.
I do want to point out one difference from New Testament thinking that Solomon could not have recognized. Before the resurrection of Jesus all who died when to Sheol–the place of the dead. It was a dark, gloomy place where the soul either rested or was tormented. Remember, the story of the rich man who died and the beggar Lazarus. Lazarus rested in Abraham’s bosom while the rich man was tormented in the flames. When Solomon wrote in verse 6, “Do not all go to one place?” that was true then. And to an extent that is true today for all go to the grave. However, now the believer upon death, the soul goes to be with the Lord. Paul writes, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV)
Therefore, it is important that we live a good life. Upon death it should be our hope, our utmost desire to hear the words of the Lord, “well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25,21, 23) Living a good life will not get you to heaven, grace is the only way. Accepting the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, recognizing His sacrifice and that He is the Son of God is the way to obtain grace, however, throughout this life we should seek to be faithful and to do good works.
So enjoy this life; let your daughter (or granddaughters) come and pull off your boots. Enjoy a cup of coffee, recognize the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon you and rejoice in them. Be satisfied with the goodness of God.