ECCLESIASTES 5:18-20

Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

TO PONDER:

Life's simple pleasures. The sound of a sprinkler on a freshly mown lawn. Crawling into a bed that has freshly washed sheets on it. A peanut butter sandwich on a piece of fresh bread. A baby asleep in your arms. What are life's simple pleasures for you? What are the things that God, out of his goodness, provides for your enjoyment from day to day?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote: "It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich!" The writer of Ecclesiastes encourages us to enjoy the pleasures of life with thankfulness to God, from whose hand they have come, Enjoy the pleasures he gives, but don't expect more from them than they can offer. Satisfaction is sold separately! It comes from God. We can only enjoy his gifts to the full when we have a relationship with him. So will you stop for a moment, step back from whatever is your lot in life at the moment, and enjoy the simple pleasures God blesses you with today? God doesn't want you caught in the past, or dreaming about the future, but fully present in the moment with him, enjoying the simple pleasures he gives with thanks.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank you for the simple pleasures you give me each day that bring joy to my heart, and a smile to my face. You are so good to me. Amen.

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