ALL I REALLY NEED

“There is nothing better for a person than that she should eat and drink and find enjoyment (make her soul see good) in her toil.”

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

These verses go on to say that all things, wisdom, knowledge, and joy come from the hand of God for apart from him we have nothing.  I came into this world with nothing; yet somewhere along the time and space of my growing up I was taught to expect a lot of material things as well as soul things.  I learned that I had rights to a long healthy life, to have everyone love me and take care of me, to possess things to keep me amused and entertained, shelter and a means to a comfortable living, and the freedom to pursue anything to make and keep me happy.  If these things weren’t made available to me, I then had the right to fight for them of take them away from others.

Now that I am older and realize that I will leave this earth with the same nothing that I came with, I wonder where all that encouragement to chase and strive after the wind came from.  As I reflect on it more it begins to sound more like the temptation in the wilderness between Jesus and the devil than the covenant that was originally spoken between God and human beings in the garden.

God originally created us, provided food and drink for us, and gave us responsible and enjoyable work to do with our hands.

         

“And God said, Behold I have given you every plant yielding seed that

          is on the face of the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit.  You

          shall have them for food” (Genesis 1:29).  “A river flowed out of Eden

          to water the garden” (2:10).  “The Lord God took the man and put him

          in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (2:15).

All of that changed when the created being chose to disobey the Creator, rejecting God’s gracious way of life and wanting more than what God freely gave.  The original temptation was being like God, knowing what was good and what was evil in his own understanding, which created needs, wants, and expectations that have passed down throughout the generations to this day; self derived needs, wants, and expectations of possessions, position, prestige, and power.  Jesus, in his first act of redemptive ministry, took us back to the point of departure and showed us how those were not legitimate needs, wants, and expectations, how the temptation was to be overcome, and to bring us back to the God who provides us with all we truly need in this life and throughout eternity.

Human history seems to revolve around a consistent pattern; forsaking God and wanting to do our own thing.  It always fails and God continually calls us back to him, where we were created to be.  As I grow older and look back over my own history, I share the sentiments and convictions of the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.  When all is said and done and I am exhausted from chasing after the wind of illusionary needs, wants, and expectations, I too submit to the Preacher’s conclusion.

“There is nothing better for a person than that she should eat and drink and find enjoyment in her toil…The end of the matter; all has been heard.  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of God.”

Ecclesiastes 2:24; 12:13