Year of the Bible: Part Seven of TwelveÀpẹrẹ

How a Backslider Thinks

The same Solomon who wrote the book of Proverbs and was the wisest man who ever lived is also the writer of Ecclesiastes. This book was not written and preserved by God as a basis for good theology but as a window into the mind of a man completely backslidden from his relationship with God.

The king who had everything going for him found himself empty and thinking, “What’s the use?” He had incomparable wealth, national peace, political and military power, understanding, fame, admirers from all over the civilized world, and women (lots of them!). In disobedience, he began to add wives from foreign nations—wives who enticed him to extravagant idol worship, turning his heart from the Lord and twisting his thinking. Like a billionaire who acknowledges the unexplainable emptiness they feel in their life, Solomon felt the void that resulted in leaving God out of the picture.

Have you ever heard people say, “What will be will be,” or “Whatever is supposed to happen will happen,” or “What’s the use of trying to change things?” Before you believe any of those cliché sayings, know that those are not God’s thoughts but were the ideas that Solomon penned when his soul lost its anchor in the Lord and was aching for the sense of purpose and meaning that you can have in Christ Jesus! To believe ideas like that is to accept that you can’t make a difference through your actions or prayers.

Question: Solomon’s ideas in Ecclesiastes reflect a mind disconnected from trust in God. Do you catch yourself thinking similar thoughts like “What’s the use?” Is Jesus Christ your anchor and the one who keeps your thoughts captive to a life of trust and faith?

Prayer: Ask the Lord’s forgiveness for ever thinking that there’s no use in praying, seeking God, persevering, or trying. Let Him know that you want Him to keep you from compromising your faith and wandering off the narrow path that leads to life and godliness. Give Him permission to interfere if, at any time in the future, you are tempted to embrace human philosophies that leave you empty.