Devotion • June 11
Today's Scripture
Ecclesiastes 11:9–12:14
Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return with the rain; in the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the women who grind cease working because they are few, and those who look through the windows see dimly; when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low; when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along and desire fails; because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets; before the silver cord is snapped, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath returns to God who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity. Besides being wise, the Teacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs. The Teacher sought to find pleasing words, and he wrote words of truth plainly. The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings that are given by one shepherd. Of anything beyond these, my child, beware. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (NRSV)
Reflection
The book of Ecclesiastes is one of scripture’s most perplexing voices. Qoheleth, or the Teacher, the book’s pseudonymous author, is a collector of common wisdom. So if it’s in the self-help section of the bookstore, or if it’s on a social media influencer’s Instagram profile, chances are the Teacher has heard it. But more than a collector, Ecclesiastes is the voice of realism of scripture. A student of the school of hard knocks, Ecclesiastes is unabashedly honest in its critique of human foibles. Qoheleth tells it like it is.
And what is that exactly? That everything is futile in life. We are all chasing after the wind. Not exactly an inspirational quote. But it is an important reminder that whatever grand scheme we dream up for our pleasure or success, days of trouble and challenge always surround us. There is no practice of positive thinking that will dismissively wave challenges away.
There’s something almost charming about Ecclesiastes’ realism, because in the midst of the Teacher’s sober advice is a deeper compassion. In this passage, the Teacher calls on us to remember God in our youth, which is also a stand-in for those times of exuberant joy we experience over the course of our lives.
The prolific Kentucky author and poet Wendell Berry captures this well in his poem “Mad Farmer Liberation Front” when he says, “Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.” This is the true liberating spirit to which Ecclesiastes wants to draw our hearts. And that spirit is most possible when we relate to our Creator with joy and thanksgiving. As the passage says, “Much study is a weariness of the flesh,” and you can’t learn your way into this relationship. But it is there in the creases between life’s challenges, beckoning us to remember.
Prayer
In a world where troubles persist and pleasures are fleeting, help me keep you in my vision, and let the sight of your love be my joy. Amen.
Written by Joseph L. Morrow, Associate Pastor for Evangelism and Community Engagement
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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