thecrump

I love my new iPod Touch.  The tech geek in me just squeals like a school girl when I boot up my new electronic friend.  One of the apps I have downloaded is a great Bible program that includes the entire Bible in different versions as well as a daily reading schedule (which is helpful for ADD people like me).  

This morning I was very excited to see that one of today's readings was Ecclesiastes 1.  I LOVE Ecclesiastes and have studied it several times.  The reason I like it is because it is full of incredible wisdom and perspective.  Here is the setup:

King Solomon was an incredibly wise man (because God answered his prayer for wisdom).  Ecclesiastes is Solomon's journey to find meaning in life and he realizes after partying hard, gaining a vast knowledge, and living a life of leisure that none of these things are fulfilling.  In fact he concludes with...

I heard an incredible testimony from comedian named Jeff Allen yesterday who was converted after reading Ecclesiastes.  He told his wife there had to be more to life than collecting stuff having it wear out then throwing it away and replacing it with more stuff.  Like Solomon he realized that this life is like "chasing after the wind."

Here is some of that testimony:

Now if I left this post at "life is meaningless" then I would be amiss.  If your key desire in life is to acquire wealth, health and happiness then YES it is a futile effort.  You may get money and pleasure but it will never be enough. You will wear your hands to the bone getting more and more stuff yet it is only the carrot at the end of the rope that you will never reach.  

Why is this?  Because all those things were not created to be the object of our worship.  I have heard John Piper say that, "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  This is the same wisdom Solomon stated at the end of Ecclesiastes.  We were created by an incredibly amazing God who commands us to look to Him for all things, from salvation to our daily needs.  In doing these things we bring Him glory and rest in Him.  This is our purpose.

Until we fall before Christ in all humility and cry out for forgiveness and grace we will never experience true rest.  We will strive after nothingness thinking it is everything.  Christianity is the only belief system that is set up this way.  Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and even secular humanism are all set up on works and striving for that unobtainable carrot.  Christ is the only one who tell us to quite striving and to rest in what He has done and is going to do.

I pray you know my Jesus and His rest.