When I was a girl, I liked to read at night. And I liked to snack while I was reading. I developed the habit of tossing the “leftovers” of my snack behind my headboard when I was done. When we prepared to move to another house, my bed was taken…

In Ecclesiastes, we travel along with Solomon’s journey to satisfaction and purpose. As we’ve established, he tried it all! And he found that even the best this world has to offer was futile. He came to a conclusion: possess a reverential awe for the Maker of humanity and do what…

HYMN DAY! “Living for Jesus” by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm (that name would make a great story hero, don’t you think?) makes a beautiful prayer of commitment. 1 Living for Jesus a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do; Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This…

My mother lived 82 years. In her family, with its history of heart disease, that was a long life. But truthfully, in light of eternity, 82 years is a very brief period of time. All of us are mortal; we’re here, as they say, on borrowed time. Thus it’s wise…

Several years ago, I was speaking to a group of women in the basement of a small-town Kansas church. A tornado touched down near the town and put out the electricity. Being suddenly plunged into complete darkness in an unfamiliar setting raised a wave of panic. Then someone lit a…

Here we are at futility again. Solomon definitely proved what he set out to prove: nothing this world offers truly satisfies. We never find lasting purpose in “stuff” or even in earthly accomplishments. Our purpose, planted in us by the One who created us, is to seek and follow Him.…

Wow. Look at all he did. And look at how many times we see the word “I” in there. All those things he did to satisfy himself. Therein lies the root of his dissatisfaction. When you were in Sunday school, did you sing the J-O-Y song? (“J-O-Y, J-O-Y, this is…

HYMN DAY! “Make Me a Blessing,” by Ira B. Wilson gives some great instruction for each of us who love Jesus. 1 Out in the highways and byways of life, many are weary and sad; are weary and sad Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife making the sorrowing glad.…

Let’s not get the idea here that laughter should be avoided. Laughter, it says elsewhere, is good medicine, and science proves it—laughter builds endorphins, which are beneficial for mental health. What brings us to laughter? Joy sometimes spills over in laughter. Nothing maniacal about that. But I’m sure we can…

When defining the word “pleasure,” such words as “happiness,” “enjoyment,” or “fun” would make good substitutes. Solomon is talking to himself here, telling himself to go ahead and dive right in to see if indulging himself would bring a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Remember, he was the king, so…