September 6
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THE FUTILY OF PLEASURE
A poem by ILMA
I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure
Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.”
But I found that this was meaningless
“Laughter is silly so what good is it to seek pleasure?”
I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself
I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees
I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate flourishing groves
I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household.
I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings in Jerusalem
I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces
I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had concubines
I had everything a man could desire and yet it all seemed meaningless.
So, I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem
Anything I wanted, I would take; I denied myself no pleasure
But as I looked at everything, it was all so meaningless
Like chasing the wind, there was nothing really worthwhile anywhere
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MEMORY VERSE
But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
– Ecclesiastes 2:11
Read: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
In this book of Ecclesiastes, we hear the wisest man on earth, Solomon discount the fact that pleasures are futile. Everything we crave and do in this world seems meaningless for him. Isn’t it crazy how we long to have many things and yet does it really have meaning?
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think many of us do all kinds of things to pleasure ourselves?
• Is it good for a Christian to want to long for many things? What does it do to them?