HAVING FUN UNDER THE SUN
There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and have his soul see good in his labor. This also I have seen,
that it is from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24
Does life ever seem frustrating? Meaningless? Futile? Maybe as a Sunday School teacher you’ve had some frustrating experiences. One preschool teacher in Kentucky was teaching about Noah’s Ark. She said, “I’m going to describe something to you. Let’s see if you can guess what it is. OK, first, “I’m furry with a bushy tail.” She waited, but no response. Then she said, “I like to climb trees.” Everyone looked puzzled. As the frustration was building, she said, “I also like to eat nuts, especially acorns.” Still no response. In great frustration she said, “I’m usually brown or gray, but sometimes I can be black or red.” Since everyone had a blank look on their faces, she turned to little Michelle and said, “Michelle, what do you think?” Michelle looked around at her classmates and said, “Well, I know the answer has to be Jesus - but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.”
King Solomon had the same feeling. He was at the top. King of Israel; wisest man in the world; possessor of anything a human being could want. But he admits that life seems to have very little meaning under the sun - from a horizontal level (Ecclesiastes 2:11). But...for the person who looks up and comes to know God in heaven, life under the SON with all its griefs and pain can be abundant and full of joy. Ecclesiastes is the answer to the person who is bored with the routine of joylessly eating, drinking and earning a paycheck. It is the answer for the Christian who thinks that serving God is like having one foot in the grave, the other foot on a banana peel, having corrugated eyebrows, and sucking on a dill pickle. Too many Christians wonder if they should feel bad when they feel good because if I feel better, then I might feel worse! Ecclesiastes is the primer on living a joyful life in Jesus Christ. There is joy, even under the sun, when you are in the S-O-N.
Ike Graham