Let’s learn from King Solomon

‘Money. Pleasure. Grab. Get. Win. Take. Fame.’ These are words that surround our everyday lives. Deep down we all know that regardless of how hard we run after these things, we can never be satisfied. Yet so many will spend their lifetime running after what cannot satisfy. A popular quote states that ‘money is a good servant but a terrible master’. You will do yourself a favour believing that quote!

There is so much to learn from the life of King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. Here we have the equivalent of a wise multi billionaire giving advice to those who care to listen. He had riches, wisdom and lived on earth for a good while. God gave Him these three things. Riches, wisdom and a long life are three things people eagerly seek after in this life. We work to amass wealth, we attend prestigious institutions to seek knowledge and wisdom, and we eat healthy, exercise and imbibe healthy habits to live long. There is a growing practice where bodies of people who have just died are deep-frozen in the hope that scientific advances may allow them to be revived in the future, it is called cryonics. Human beings will go any length to have a long life or live forever.

Even though Solomon possessed these things, in chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon speaks of the vanity of self-indulgence. Pleasure does not satisfy. He experienced pleasures some of us will never get to experience, yet at the end of it all he summarizes that ‘it is all vanity’. Mind you, in Ecclesiastes 2:10 he tells us that ‘whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure’. I suppose there may be an element of lack of self- control in this but that’s not the point. Because of his wealth he was able to get whatever he wanted. There were no obstacles. Yet, it was still meaningless. Unfortunately, some people will reach the end of their lives before coming to this conclusion. It is said that ‘experience is the best teacher’ but for the sake of not repeating history, we can say ‘other people’s experience is the best teacher’.

Solomon had the money to buy whatever he wanted. Yet, he tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:10 that ‘he who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity’. This verse hits us right at the core. Surely, some of us say to ourselves that we would be satisfied if we get ‘x’ amount more of what we currently earn. If you are on 50k a year, you would be satisfied if you were on 150k…at least so you think. Someone else who is on 200k a year thinks they would be satisfied if they were on 600k. The more money you get, the more you desire to earn. Now, let’s get things straight. There is nothing wrong with desiring a higher salary and more money. But we need to watch out as Christians that the love of money doesn’t command or inspire our existence. Money is not bad or evil, it is the love of money that is a problem (1 Timothy 6:10). If your faith is in money, you will never be satisfied no matter how much of it you have.

John 6:35 I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

These are the words of our Saviour. Precious, direct and powerful promises. Food and water are essential to our ability to live. The fact that Jesus promises to satisfy two essential needs for humanity is key. Now, of course Christ speaks of spiritual bread and water. Newsflash! Satan offers us bread and water too – both representing satisfaction. We fall into traps like lying for personal gain to quench our thirst for money or engaging in sex outside of marriage believing that it will satisfy our hunger for pleasure.

The devil has been using the same lies since the beginning of humanity. He presented those lies to Eve. ‘Eat of this fruit- you will be like God’. Satan always offers to quench our hunger and thirst. But when you give in to his lies you often find that you end up dissatisfied.

The good news is that Jesus cannot lie. He keeps His word ,your hunger and thirst will be quenched when you surrender to Him. The desires and perspectives of your life will change when you let Jesus take over the affairs of your life. You will no longer be deceived by the lies Satan has to offer. We can learn from Solomon that wealth, pleasure and even worldly wisdom will not quench our hunger and thirst.

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.’ – Jeremiah 2:13

Avoid running to broken cisterns that can hold no water. The world can’t offer us what Christ offers us. Don’t go digging wells that don’t hold water with the aim to quench your thirst.Take the advice given in Isiah 55:1-2;

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

In Ecclesiastes 6:7 Solomon tells us that ‘all the toil of man is for his mouth , yet his appetite is not satisfied’. Like the songwriter says “Nothing in this world can satisfy, cause Jesus You’re the cup that won’t run dry”. Don’t waste your life looking for satisfaction in things that will not satisfy. Make a choice today to drink from the well that never runs dry. Give your heart to God and He will satisfy you.