PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13 – Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

THEME OF THE DAY. CHRIST IS ENOUGH. ALWAYS. Life is hard. It doesn’t matter whether a person is a Christian or not, life is difficult. All people suffer. All people hurt. All people encounter sorrow. All people grieve. As much as we are diverse as individual human beings, we share the common trait of pain. And that is life in a world under the curse of sin. It is unavoidable, though many people try to escape suffering, sadness, and pain through temporal fixes such as drugs, alcohol, relationships, pleasures, materialism, and many other worldly enticements. None of them work. Should we not be convinced, let a man named Solomon who had everything and everyone money could buy weigh in. This is lengthy, but let it sink in. Ponder his words of warning. Believe what he says. He is an expert on the futility of seeking in the world what can only be had by the One who created the world, Here are King Solomon’s words . . .

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).

Please go back and read again King Solomon’s wise words of warning. As we do, make a list of all the things he tried to bring purpose into his life, satisfaction in his soul, and pleasure to his heart. When we have done this “Bible Study”, we may conclude this, “King Solomon tried everything and everyone in the world to bring contentment into his life and they all failed to deliver.” Friends . . . we must get this lesson before our lives quickly rush by us – human relationships, material possessions, academic and vocational achievements, a nice nest egg for retirement, the pleasures of the world, and anything else in this created world will never satisfy us. And if we don’t believe this, and waste time, energy, and money to prove otherwise, we will come to the end of our journey with such regret and remorse. Christ, and Christ alone, is the answer to all the longings in a human being. Believe this. Seek this. If we do, we will learn not only from Solomon’s warnings, but to be like the Apostle Paul in today’s scripture – contented in Christ alone.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for giving me the only source of contentment, comfort, and hope – Yourself.”

QUOTE: “God holds us up, not sometimes, but all the time, and has given His sure Word to assure us of this truth.”