Ecclesiastes Day 6 // All is Vanity

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say,

“Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. Ecclesiastes 6:3-4

There is no easy way to read this verse, but perhaps no greater understanding than that of the Christian woman. Losing a child is not something I have personally suffered, but I have, in a small, small, way suffered alongside women as they have mourned that loss.

It has been said,

“there is no greater loss than that of a child”

and I believe Solomon uses this powerful example to remind us of the frailty of our own lives.

Enjoyment is not the final goal but rather the journey. We all begin our next life at the throne of God, with Jesus as either our advocate or as our adversary and although being joyful is not a commandment, it is stated clearly throughout the Bible that we should,

“Rejoice always” 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Please do not confuse joy with happiness as happiness is fleeting but the joy of Christ can surround us, if we only let it.

Reflect: How can you find the joy in the journey of your life?

Act: Be a light of joy for someone who is having a hard time in his or her journey.