Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells how, with the great wisdom that God gave him, he observed life. We often find him depressed and discouraged over what he has seen. He observed that “there is nothing new under the sun,” that everything happening today has happened before and will happen again. The human race never seems to actually advance, in spite of all our efforts and the increase of knowledge.

In the verses above he points out that even in the courts, where we expect justice to be upheld, and even in the churches, where we expect to find righteousness, there is wickedness to be found. It’s a sad state of affairs for the human race, and it’s always been that way.

But after all the depressing news, Solomon comes to some pretty good advice:

“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.”
Ecclesiastes 2:24

 “So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot.”
Ecclesiastes 3:22

Enjoy the life and the work that God has given you to do. Do it well, trusting in Him to bring it all to a good conclusion. There will be times of frustration, and the human race isn’t going to change, but don’t take it too seriously; God is on the throne and has His hand on you and on your life. His good and loving purpose will be accomplished as you faithfully follow Him.

Lord, I once thought that I was going to change the world; every new generation seems to believe that. I’ve learned that the world isn’t going to change, but You are changing me. Lord, thank You for the plan and the purpose that You have for my life. Fulfill it, I pray, for Jesus’ sake. Keep me close to You! Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles