In Ecclesiastes 2:1-9 AMP, “The Teacher” describes the kinds of possessions he acquired and how much pleasure he had in enjoying them;
“…So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me. Whatever my eyes looked at with desire I did not refuse them. I did not withhold from my heart any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor; and this was my reward for all my labor…” Ecclesiastes 2:9-10 AMP.
At the end of it all, he said that everything he had acquired, and all the pleasures he had experienced were useless. (Ecclesiastes 2:11 paraphrased). God told Solomon there will never be anyone that will come after him that will be greater than him. Meaning, with all of our accomplishments today, so many centuries after King Solomon, there’s still no one that has acquired as much as he did. If you study the life of King Solomon, you’ll understand what true extravagance means. He was the definition of it. The sons of today seem to be in pursuit of that kind of life. We are amassing wealth, possessions, and pleasures and for most people, it comes at the cost of them losing themselves in the process. They lose their soul, they do not even care who they hurt or kill just to be rich. It’s that kind of pursuit that “The Teacher” is referencing to be futile because in the end, you will not take any of those things to the grave. This is in no way saying that it is wrong to work hard to acquire things. I am a strong believer in prosperity – I hate poverty with passion and I reject it with all of me BUT, if you’re acquiring wealth in evil ways, it’s pointless. If you do not use the wealth you have to serve God and His purposes, nor use it to bless humanity, then to “The Teacher’s” point, it is futile.
What I’d like for us to meditate on this week is, what is your motivation in acquiring wealth, possessions and pleasures? Are you thriving in your pursuit of wealth or you’re losing your soul and hurting others in the process? How is your life, your resources and possessions blessing people? I pray that the Lord will guide our hearts in our pursuit of prosperity and pleasures.
XOXO,
Lady Abena.