The Emptiness of Earthly Gain

"I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun" (Eccl. 2:1-11). The wisdom that God bestowed upon Solomon was second to none, and in fact God said it was at the top of that chart: "Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee" (I Kin. 3:12). The summation of that high degree of divine wisdom told Solomon that true satisfaction of heart and soul simply cannot be attained to by any degree of success, possessions, position, or any other state in this life. He had it all, he did it all, and he was it all; and he found 'it all' to be less than fulfilling. The word "vanity" means 'empty or futile;' and the term "vexation of spirit" means 'the pursuit of wind.' His godly wisdom and honest discernment showed him that the totality of all worldly attainments was and is akin to chasing the wind and coming up empty. He found no lasting or satisfying benefit in any of it.

Jesus addressed this same issue when speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob, and he gave the solution to the problem as well: "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water... Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (Jn. 4:10,13,14). There it is, the "living water" that Jesus offers is the ONLY thing that can quench the thirst of any and every soul of mankind. He spoke of that same water again just a little bit later: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.]" (Jn. 7:37-39). When JESUS BAPTIZES US in that living, heavenly water, it quenches the thirst of our weary soul for the first time ever. As long as we 'drink' only from the things of this life we will continue to thirst, but one good, long, cool drink of that living water from heaven lets us know that there is a sweet reservoir of pure water that never runs dry, and that hits the spot every single time! Praise God!! I love it! I've been drinking that living water for almost thirty three years now, and it has NEVER failed to satisfy fully, or to quench every longing and need of my soul. It is truly the rest and the refreshing for the weary soul, as the prophet Isaiah said it would be, and was confirmed by Jesus and Peter (Isa. 28:11,12; Mat. 11:28; Acts 3:19). And it is absolutely the "washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost," that truly delivers the heart and soul from sin (Tit. 3:5). Yes my friend, the holy Spirit of God is that which literally "washes, and sanctifies, and justifies" the needy soul, and surely as the scripture says; "If any man have NOT the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (I Cor. 6:11; Rom. 8:9). No wonder. Amen.