Stephen leaves home as early as 5:00AM, spends the whole day busy with computers and gadgets, not just satisfying his customers but researching on solutions to many business solutions. For Skila, she is a mother to twins who are toddlers, she is self-employed growing her agro-marketing company as well as a transport system for an effect transfer of foodstuff from the Zambian rural areas.
Her goal is to been financially stressless in her 40s and 50s so that her twin boys could have a well supplied colleges education thereby escaping the scorching poverty in Zambia.
Even though Idowu graduated with a first class degree in Economics from the University of Abuja, his situation has not been an easy one. With such a testimony, came three offers of well paying jobs. He chose one of course, but the stiff competition on this international platform has taken a toll on his mind.
Idowu has extraordinary demands from his company that is basically profit crazy and neither understands nor accepts excuses for not meeting up his quota. Last month he was threatened all round: His mum has not seen him in nine long months although the live in the same city; he has not had a private time with his wife or intimacy in 6 weeks and meals are becoming necessary obstructions.
"We pay you huge man, deliver the goods!!", is his boss' daily anthem.
Dolvan and Passia married three years, four months, one weeks and 2 days now, without a child and with only the memory of a miscarriage six months into their wedding. At every turn and from every dawn to sunset, someone from both families of the couple driving them nuts about kids.
Last week after a scorging days travails, his threatened him with the suggestion getting either a second wife or getting a kid outside the marriage.
She shouted on the phone, " Give me my grandkids Dol!! I'm not going to the grave without holding my grandchild! "
People are seeking something. Everyone everywhere is trying to get something. And after the get it or fail to, they go after another things. There is no limits to the things people want.
However, of all the things we seek, there is one that few people seek. That's the Lord. Jeremiah said, in chapter 29:
"11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." NIV
So many people are seeking for what they want and not what they need. What they want may be legitimate or illegitimate. Somethings we need are necessary others and unnecessary. Somethings we need are essential others are for fun or pleasure.
However, there is a hunger in man for God. There is a thirst in the heart of man for truth. The quest for inner satisfaction has driven man to unthinkable places. All other religions other. All religions are man's response in search of that God.
It's not enough to know God exist. We have to seek Him. Man's pursuit for wealth, material possession, influence man affluence, fame and recognition, power and authority ends in emptiness.
From Solomon's experience we can glean all we need to know.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.
what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief." NIV
the more knowledge, the more grief." NIV
Solomon continued sharing his personal experience with life, the hard truth is laid bare.
We who hold the Word of life must bear in mind the urgency of this need. We must appreciate the difference. We must work, conscious of these misplaced priorities and address them appropriately.
Then he added:
Ecclesiastes 2:1 "'I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.
and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.
15 Then I said to myself,
“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!"'
What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!"'
There is nothing to add to this elaborate illustration.
God bless you as you digest these words!
David Pam McQuel
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