TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.— Ecclesiastes 12:13
If you are seeking fulfillment, purpose, or meaning from this world and from human accomplishments, I have some bad news: you will never find it. There is nothing in the world that will fill the deepest void in your life—not the ultimate car, not the greatest job, not the most beautiful girl or the most handsome guy, not the greatest education, not winning it all on American Idol. There is nothing that can even come close.
King Solomon, one of the wealthiest men who ever lived, had everything he wanted. Yet he went on a binge, trying to satisfy his appetites with the wrong things. He went after passion. He went after possessions. He went after things of beauty and buildings and land. He drank, and he partied. After all of that, here was his conclusion: “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11, NLT).
Have you ever been ravenously hungry and tried to satisfy your appetite with snacking? It just doesn’t work. You want a real meal. In the same way, we were created with a God-shaped hole in our lives. We have been created to love God, to know God, and to bear fruit. Everything else is secondary.
Think about it: everything else in life, every other responsibility, no matter how significant, must be ordered behind the central purpose of your existence on earth—knowing, loving, and serving your Creator. Yes, God cares about your career, your marriage, your family, and your ministry. But knowing Him, prioritizing Him, is number one. And when you do, the Bible says you never will be a loser for it.
Jesus said it like this: “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:32-33, NLT).
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Used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie, PO Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514.