“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:11
My family are reading through the Bible this year using the ‘Bible Recap’ app on our phones and we read this passage a few weeks ago. And I have been thinking about it ever since. While working for the transportation department of Nebraska for 38 years there have been several occasions that something I designed has now been replaced with something ‘bigger’ and ‘better’ as the volumes of traffic have increased over the years. Not sure that it was totally meaningless when hours were spent planning and calculating; the highway served a purpose for a time, but now it is useless by today’s measurements.
Solomon was filled with much wisdom; he constructed elaborate buildings, bought large numbers of slaves, cattle, sheep and was without a doubt the richest man on the planet. These things turned out to be meaningless, didn’t bring him the happiness that he was needing so he then added many women to his harem; all this left him still shaking his head and searching for something that really mattered.
The attached photo was taken at the kitchen serving area at the Lutheran School at Merrotte. A table with s lot of plates filled with rice and beans for His children on a hot, humid day in the Arcahaie District. Meaningless, nope, certainly not a feast that Solomon would have eaten; or probably many people living in North America. I guarantee that this plate of food will bring happiness to the Haitian child who holds tightly onto this priceless treasure.
Each one of these children has a purpose from their Heavenly Father. Probably like us, they don’t know what that purpose happens to be at the moment, but He knows. This simple meal is not meaningless. Their Christian education is not meaningless. Your support of His children is not meaningless; you are taking part of their legacy and leaving a legacy of your own for others to follow. Heard a song today on the internet radio called ‘Just one more Soul’ by Greater Vision. The words seemed like a good way to wrap up this devotion, reminding me, and hopefully you of the urgency in saving just one more soul.
“The preachers are weary the singers are tired; the church as we know it is losing its fire. Some are discouraged from bearing the load but we must determine to keep pressing on ‘cause if just one more soul were to walk down the aisle it would be worth every struggle, it would be worth every mile. A lifetime of labor is still worth it all if it rescues just one more soul. So preachers, keep preachin’ and singers, go sing. Laymen, keep sharing that Jesus is King. The angels have gathered, they’re surrounding the throne and they’ll start rejoicing for just one more soul.”
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay