ECCLESIASTES 12:13

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

TO PONDER

Ecclesiastes is not a book of the Bible many people go to often these days, and it's a shame because it has a lot to teach us.

The writer of the book essentially sets out to determine what a wise person ought to do with his or her life. He experiments with lots of things, chasing more wisdom and learning, wealth and fame, parties and good times, hard work and productive efforts... in the end he determines they are all meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Our verse today, is the final conclusion of this wise man's contemplation. He comes to the conclusion that trusting in God and seeking to do his will are the only things that bring meaning to any part of life. Jesus said the basically the same thing in a different way in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you also."

If we can seriously make the pursuit of God and his ways the number one pursuit of our life then we can be confident that every part of our life will be filled with meaning and purpose. Why not do your own little experiment and try that hypothesis out for a few days and see what God does with your life when you place it squarely in his hands?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me today, to seek your kingdom first in all that I do. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.