| “God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor … but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them …” |
| —Ecclesiastes 6:2 |
Have you ever noticed that some people, no matter how fortunate they seem to be, do not ever have the ability to enjoy what’s happening in any particular moment? Such people seem almost distracted by some inner turmoil that keeps them from letting go and just accepting the positive things that are happening around them. King Solomon targets such people in today’s Scripture passage, found in Ecclesiastes 6:1-2:
I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.
Not only does God give us every good and perfect gift, he also gives us the ability to enjoy—truly enjoy—those gifts. Even though we may realize that we have done nothing to deserve His favor—even when we recognize that His gifts to us come as a result of His love for us just as we are, not as He wishes us to be, or expects us to become—our ability to truly enjoy those gifts also comes to us as a precious gift from God.
Life without God would be horrible. That’s why it is so important that we lovingly, carefully, and kindly share with others what God has done in our lives. We don’t want them to live their lives without the divine presence of God leading, guiding, directing, and, most of all, loving them.
As we begin a new day, let’s rejoice that God has given us perfect gifts, as well as the ability to enjoy those gifts. Then, let’s take that joy and allow it to help us focus our efforts to share with others the wonder and amazement of a relationship with God.
