THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF LIFE
Bernadette Keene
Today’s Scripture: “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.” Proverbs 14:13, ESV
Theme: Emotions help us to care deeply, but they don’t always help us to discern clearly. Opposite emotions can arise simultaneously: pain with joy, laughter amid grief.
THE HAPPY LIFE
Our Scripture of the day, Proverbs 14:13, is probably written by King Solomon, as most of the Proverbs are attributed to him. Solomon was the son of King David, slinger of stones and slayer of the giant. He was the fourth born son to David and Bathsheba and is a key link in the Davidic line, the foundational lineage of Jesus. That is reason enough to rejoice! God chose Solomon to build the temple in hopes that Solomon’s reign would quiet the sword and foster a more peaceful rule. Growing up as the son of a king had to have had its benefits and often people see benefits as happiness.
While Solomon did experience an abundance of happiness in his life, he experienced great sadness as well. He was a man with wisdom like no other; he had extreme wealth and wanted for no material thing. He accomplished the building of his own palace and the temple of the Lord. But as we read the book of Proverbs, we can see the rise and fall of Solomon's emotional state. He speaks with wisdom throughout, but inserts words that allude to sadness. For example Proverbs 12:25 says “Anxiety in the heart of a man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad” (NKJV). The overall theme in Proverbs is the highs and lows of human emotion and the illusion that earthly treasures bring happiness.
THE SAD LIFE
King Solomon also is thought to have authored the book of Ecclesiastes. It was supposedly written toward the end of Solomon’s life, after he disobeyed God. He turned away from following God wholeheartedly and the result is an overtone of despair and profound sadness. He repeatedly concludes that “everything is meaningless under the sun.”
What Solomon is trying to express is that life without God has no meaning. Like Solomon, you can have all the wealth, honor, and possessions of the world; work yourself to a frazzle neglecting your family, your friends, and most importantly, God; yet in the end, those are the things that truly matter: God and people.
Make It Personal: If you are feeling overwhelmed by life today, simultaneously successful and discouraged that all your hard work has no meaning, then now is the time to fast, pray, and draw near to the heart of God. Get quiet and listen. He desires to share His heart and His will with you. Even when conflicting emotions don’t make it clear what to prioritize or do next, God will.
Pray: Dear God, without You we are nothing, and all we do is vain. You are the source of life and the center of everything that matters. Give us wisdom to seek fulfillment in You and not in earthly treasures that pass away. Amen
Read: 2 Corinthians 6:10, Psalm 126, Ecclesiastes 3
Weekly Memory Verse: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12, ESV