The Soul’s Only Cure

"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). It should be noted here that the word 'vanity' is translated as "emptiness or futility," and the term 'vexation of spirit' means "the pursuit of wind." You may want to read the last couple of lines of scripture again with that defining of these words in mind.

This passage of scripture is one of the most powerful passages not only in the Bible, but also one of the most powerful statements about this life that has ever been written or spoken in the history of the world; if one has eyes to see and ears to hear. Solomon had it all, did it all, and WASit all; yet he could not find any lasting satisfaction or fulfillment through the things of this life alone. His example should be enough for all to see and to realize this overt fact of life, yet man goes on trying to fulfill himself through the endeavors, possessions, and achievements of this life. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob the only remedy to this universal dilemma: “ 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. 4:13,14). And John told us what the living water is and how to get it: “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…]” (Jn. 7:37-39). Truly there is no other remedy for filling the void in the innermost being of anyone and everyone, other than that glorious living water of the holy Ghost flowing from deep within and filling us with divine, eternal life from on high (Jn. 5:26; Jn. 10:10; Rom. 8:2). Mankind has been separated from God in his heart since sin entered into the world, and Jesus came to pay the price for that lost connection to be restored. And that restoration is indeed the inner man being baptized BY Jesus in that river of living water, by means of repentance from sin and total faith and dependency on him for that very restoration, which is in fact the remission of our sins. There simply is no other way to fill in the gap for that which is missing. Not in the Bible. Not in this life. If we receive this remedy from Jesus, and if we preserve that connection to God by “walking in the Spirit,” we will never be found wondering what is it that’s missing. Amen.