June 18, 2011 What Will You Say?

What Will You Say?
Read Ecclesiastes 9 – 12

Eccl 12:13-14 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

THAT’S IT. Do you want to know the secret of life, of happiness, of peace, of hope, of joy, of trusting God?
It is right here for you. Solomon had wisdom. But he disregarded his wisdom for the world, and he didn’t finish life well. God honored him with great wisdom, wealth, fame, and power. But Solomon ended life in great despair and depression.
He turned away from God. He ignored God’s commands to not marry an Egyptian wife. He ignored God’s commands to not have many wives—he had hundreds of wives and concubines!
Many worshiped false gods. Solomon got too close to the false gods, too far away from the real God.
So he knows what he’s talking about. He’s a man sitting by a car wreck saying, “Don’t drive too fast.” He’s the lung cancer patient saying, “Don’t smoke.” He’s the adulterer with AIDS saying, “Be faithful to your spouse.”
What will you say at the end of life? Will you share your regrets? Or will you tell your family, “I trusted God’s commands. And he blessed me.”


Pause and Consider: what you want to say about your life.