Solomon's experiences

Ecclesiastes 1
( Written by Solomon who saw himself as a teacher. But he wrote very skeptically and pessimistically.)

Solomon declares that "everything is meaningless, utterly meaningless". He asks what people get for their hard work, because nothing seems to change. He says we don't remember what happened in the past and we are never satisfied, no matter how much we hear. He claims that "history repeats itself, over and over".

Solomon tells that he devoted himself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done in the world. And he soon discovered that God had dealt a tragic existence to the human race. So he worked hard to distinguish wisdom from foolishness, but found it was like chasing the wind. He ended up believing that to increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Solomon is trying to destroy people's confidence in their own efforts and abilities. He tries to direct them to God as the only reason for living. Near the end of his life, Soloman looked back over his life and it seemed meaningless. He lived in excesses. yet he wanted his readers to avoid the mistakes he made. He wanted his readers to find meaning in their accomplishments but only through God. Through God, our pursuits would have meaning.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? How many times have you asked yourself what is missing in your life or why you feel burned out or unhappy with your accomplishments? Solomon discovered that true wisdom came from God. And true happiness comes from pleasing God. But are you ready to move about and see more and feel more, observe more. You may encounter more evil than you will like to see. But if you set out with Solomon to find the meaning of life, you must be ready to feel more, think more, question more, hurt more and do more. Are you ready to pay the price for wisdom?

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Pray for Gabe.
Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer and for her sister Wanda’s soul which went to heaven.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.