Ecclesiastes 8:14-15

Rachel Workman: ⁴ And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

¹⁵ So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

It’s so easy to get caught up in this world and what this world demands of us. It’s important that we stop and praise God for the things he has given us. It keeps us from taking them for granted and refreshes our joy.

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John Burnett:  ⁹ All this I have seen and applied my ^[a]mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.

¹⁰ So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility. ¹¹ Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. ¹² Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear ^[b]Him openly. ¹³ But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.  Delayed consequences for our sin has the consequence of men being evil.  Those who fear God, whose eyes have been opened to see their sin and follow His command to repent and believe, will lengthen his life exponentially for eternity.  The same goes for those who do not fear God and do evil things, the only difference is the location of where they spend those days.  No one fears God without God giving them a new heart and new desires.

¹⁴ There is futility, which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it ^[c]happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it ^[d]happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. ¹⁵ So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his ^[e]toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.  We are to enjoy what God has given us.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Ecclesiastes 8:16-17

¹⁶ In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. ¹⁷ I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.