I've been quite sick since Christmas and found out I was not eating enough protein. So now with salt, carbs and protein I am finally well. It took time for my body to adjust to eating different foods, but with the help of my daughter, I am on a healthy diet. I've never been interested in food or nutrition, and I used to believe what I read in magazines that Americans get enough vitamins from their food and not to worry about taking vitamins. Also, sometimes I'm not too bright.
Meanwhile, I've been studying the Bible and talking with God. I started a Bible study on the book of Ecclesiastes on a podcast by Nicole Unice. You can find her here: How To Study The Bible - Nicole Unice. I'm enjoying it very much. I went ahead and read the whole book. I had read it before, but didn't think much about it. Didn't really like it.
But I've learned some valuable lessons from Ecclesiastes. I was surprised to read Solomon say that in wisdom there is much sorrow. He was the wisest man who ever lived, according to the Bible. Nicole explained that the more you know what is going on in the world the sadder you are. I understand that. It is how we all feel after reading or watching the news. The horrible things people do to each other is beyond understanding. So, Solomon concluded there was no happiness in wisdom.
He told us he decided to try to find happiness in money and having a good time. He was a very wealthy king and had everything he could desire. He didn't find happiness in this either. He writes, "A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only of having a good time." Thinking about death, can move us to thinking about what happens after death.
And this is what Ecclesiastes is all about, one man trying to make sense of the world, but all he found was vanity and chasing after wind. Because we all eventually die, Solomon found everything meaningless. That is until the last paragraph where he writes, "Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad."
There are two sides to God. There is his judgement and his love and mercy. God warns us many times in the Bible that we will all be judged on what we have done. If we have harmed people, we will be condemned. But if we tell God we are sorry for what we have done, he runs to meet us, to forgive us and hold us close. Jesus said, "This is eternal life, that we might know you, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah whom you have sent." As we know God, we will always be asking for forgiveness because we all sin. But he always forgives and understands. When God comes into your heart and life, you actually want to do good. This is called our "second birth." We are now adopted by God into the family in heaven. Once that has happened, God says to us, "I will never leave you, and I will never, never forsake you."
