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Observation:
In the first verses I read my thoughts immediately see (whether this is true or not) that God causes the evil of wanting more stuff by giving wealth and honor to people. As an earthly human, we received wealth and earthly possessions or honor and we instantly want to gain more and keep up the work to gain it again! On top of it, the bible says a stranger enjoys it more so than he! I experienced this with a pay check I received after a hard long week at work with training and picking up day camp shift on Mondays. It was a great check! It covered more than my allowance covered in a month! I was excited and thought to myself "I could keep up this amount of work!" Taking a step back I thought to myself, no I couldn't. It would be hard, and not worthwhile. That week I had no breaks, no time to relax and build relationships. I was stressed with school work to the point of one of my first anxiety attacks. (thankfully that's when God stepped in...another post maybe) That amount of wealth is not needed or worth the cost and the stress.
Ecc.6:2 "God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them and a stranger enjoys them instead."
Interpretation:
However, does God cause this evil? Did God just promote man to sin? Why would God do that? Why would God allow such hard nights and stressful days? I do not know the answer to this. I do not know if it to teach us that our hearts will always crave more or if it is different and more in-depth than that.... There is hope though.
Have you ever seen veggie tales? Have you ever seen Veggie Tales Madam Blueberry, or Veggies tales: The Toy that saved Christmas? Veggie tales is a wonderful children's video collection tackling the bible and different attitudes we face. Like selfishness and envy over objects or friend's toys. Its quite cute in a kiddy-sense with songs and funny fruits and veggies hopping around. Madame Blueberry
God is known to give many gifts! For example Ephesians 2:8, and now we learn that God gives wealth and honor even if it causes evil...So why does God give people wealth and honor? "So that man's heart desires nothing..." yet we do! Our culture is wanting the next new thing, the next new X-box or dvd player or flat screen tv or smart phone... But this morning I discovered another gift God gives us. This passage is a reflection to the end of Ecclesiates 5; specifically 5:19-20, "Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to be happy in his work--this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness in his heart." To be happy and joyful about what we have currently is not possible by human means. God, gives us the acceptance, the joy, and the peace with our current possessions and our circumstances so that we are not so blue! I also feel this is need if we are to give to others, to feel we can give away our time and money and not cling to it selfishly or with worry about the future.
Application:
What wealth or honor have you received in the past week?
What benefits or bonuses did you get from it? What cons or negatives were felt from obtaining the wealth and honor?
Are you truly happy or joyful with your current amount of wealth and honor?
