JUN 7

Ecclesiastes 9:7-8
Memorise Ecclesiastes 9:8
“Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy…”

Therefore for the believer, while we still have life, we are not to mourn and fearfully await the day of our death. Don’t waste the life that we have, we should rather enjoy our life here on earth while we still can. This is because life is a gift of God, and He has made provisions for us to live joyfully in Him. In the following verses Solomon gives us guidelines on how we should live our lives, and enjoy all that the Lord has given to us.

Firstly, in verse 7 we enjoy the provisions that God has given to us, to eat, drink and be merry, for if we labour honestly, God accepts our work and will thus reward us with sufficient provisions, and ability to satisfy our hearts with them. This is the simple joy of Christian contentment. We must always remember that God is the provider of all things. We must never covet what we don’t have. Whatever God has set before us, we give thanks to the Lord, don’t complain, but instead have a merry heart of rejoicing.

Secondly, verse 8 speaks of our appearance, that it always be decent and in good order. Clean garments and ointments are seen as tokens of joy that would be brought out on a day of celebration (Isaiah 61:3, Psalm 45:7). If we truly understand the value of the life that we have, and the joys of salvation, then every day of our life ought to be spent in celebration of what the Lord has done for us. The ointment can also refer to scented oils which the Jews would use as perfumes or ointments to refresh themselves (Esther 2:12, Mark 13:3-5). A deeper meaning can be sought here, in that it speaks of the purity of life, and that we must always endeavour to live our lives unspotted by the blemish of sin (Revelation 19:8). Such a life will thus bring refreshment to the Lord, and will be a sweet savour to Him, acceptable in His sight.

Through these little simple steps, we can and should live a life that is pleasing to God. It may require some shifts in our attitudes, it may require certain tweaks to our lifestyles. Are we prepared to make these changes, if we know that these will improve our relationship with God, and bring more glory to Him?

Thought: Am I willing to change for God?
Prayer: Lord, help me to live a life of contentment and joy, knowing that all things I have are from Thee.