7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works. 8 Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. 11 I returned and saw under the sun that– The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them. 13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me:
Ecclesiastes 9:7-13
We can have enjoyment of life through our relationship with God in Jesus our Lord. God is the source of all good things and He delights in our enjoyment of them. These verses list three specific areas of life that should be meaningful to Believers.
**Through Christ, we should enjoy life’s blessings. God provides our food, our drink, our clothing, and our vitality. Thankfulness should permeate the life of the Christian. When praying, it is common to express gratitude. When you converse, give thanks. When you get up and when you lie down, give thanks for God’s blessings.
**Through Christ, we should enjoy marriage. Marriage is a gift from God. We should be grateful and give praise for that gift.
Marriage was God’s idea. Jesus defines it as being between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:3-11). The gift of marriage should be enjoyed and be a source of blessing as long as both the husband and wife lives.
**Through Christ, we should enjoy our work. God supplies us and blesses us through our labor. It’s not always easy and fun. But, work is necessary for our wellbeing. God teaches us much through work about dealing with people and finishing tasks honorably. God uses work to build our trust in Him.
Tony French
mrtonyfrench 