September 7
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THE WISE AND FOOLISH AND FUTILITY OF WORK
A poem by ILMA
I said “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness
For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark”
Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate
Both will die. So, I said to myself, what’s the value of all my wisdom?
This is all so meaningless”; the wise and the foolish both die
The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool
In the days to come, both will be forgotten, so I came to hate life
Because everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
I learned to hate my hard work here for I must leave everything I’ve earned
And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish?
Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work
How meaningless! So, I gave up questioning the value of hard work in this world.
I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy life and be satisfied with work
Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God
For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?
God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him
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MEMORY VERSE
So, I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. – Ecclesiastes 2:24
Read: Ecclesiastes 2
King Solomon presents nothing different between the wise and the foolish. They both end the same. He also emphasizes the futility of work and how important it is for us to enjoy life and our work for everything comes from the Lord and he is the one who gives wisdom and blessings to those who please him.
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REFLECTION
• Why does the world think that wise people are better of than those who are foolish? What do you think is God’s perspective on this?