Ecclesiastes 1 Devotional

Honest About the Wind

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.”Ecclesiastes 1:14 (BSB)

Ecclesiastes begins with a verdict most books would save for the end: everything is fleeting and empty (1:2). The Teacher looks at the world and sees motion without arrival. The sun rises and hurries back to rise again, the wind circles, and the rivers keep running into a sea that is never full (1:5-7). The eye never has enough of seeing (1:8). Nothing is new, and no one is remembered for long (1:9-11). Even his search for wisdom only added to his grief (1:18).

It is striking that God put this voice in the Bible. Scripture does not ask anyone to pretend that life under the sun satisfies. Paul gives the reason behind it: God subjected creation to futility, but in hope that it would be set free and share the freedom of God's children (Romans 8:20-21). The restlessness of this chapter is real, but it is not the last word. You can be honest about what does not satisfy, because God, who allowed that frustration, has also promised to end it.

To think about: What have you been expecting to satisfy you that keeps leaving you wanting more?