14 I know that whatever God does endures for ever;
nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it;
God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. Ecclesiastes 3:14
Yesterday we pondered “satisfaction” that the Teacher, identified as Solomon, son of David, one of the wisest men that has lived. He says satisfaction is the gift of God available to any person seeking him. The very next verse the Teacher, in the midst of this essay on the meaninglessness of life, comments that God’s works endure forever and we cannot improve on God’s works. Truly?
The Teacher first despaired because of the circles of life. The sun rises and sets endlessly and so what is the point he ponders. That makes me think of all the artists who have tried to capture a dazzling sunrise as the reds and oranges and purples fade in and out of our view. We try to prolong the beauty but we do not improve it. The Teacher despaired at death and yet I have seen sculpture of babies and old couples embracing and there is beauty of love that cannot be improved. Each phase of life has its own beauty and tenderness. The Teacher ponders our toil and he realizes that when we find satisfaction in our work, we have been blessed. A very famous painting is of an old man praying over his evening bread by Eric Enstrom has captivated hearts for ages.
Print – Grace by Eric Enstrom; Daily Bread Man Praying At Dinner
Let us bow our heads today and thank the God that what he does is good and ask for a heart to appreciate the lives we have been given – an attitude of gratitude for his blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 