Eccl 3:10-11 (NIV) I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Jesus has already shown you the wonderful instructions God gave Solomon. God told Solomon how to live a beautiful, wonderful life. The truths of God were powerful and enlightening. Solomon could have followed them and avoided all his pain. But, now he is blaming God for all of it.

Eccl 3:12-13 (NIV) I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God. This sounds good; it definately fits in with what your body wants, what the world is trying to do, and what the devil has been trying to get you to seek. If you can believe that Jesus just wants you to be happy, Satan has won his battle against you.

Mat 25:31-46 (NIV) When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

Jesus wants you to get your happiness out of helping others. He is willing to provide you with money, possessions, positions, popularity, prestige, power, pleasure, and accomplishments. But, He wants you to use them to love and care for needy people. Solomon was saying that it was all about you being happy. It is about you being happy; but, it isn’t ALL about you being happy. If you will seek first His (God’s) kingdom and His righteousness...all these THINGS will be given to you as well (Mat 6:33).

For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me. If life and God’s will is that everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God, then everyone will be a lake. The blessings of God will go into your life; but, they never leave you. Here is how to be a river where THINGS come in and then go out.

Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’ These people were getting a lot of time, money, and opportunities to see people in need. But, they didn’t embrace Solomon’s view of God. They embraced Jesus’ view of life.

Luke 6:38 (NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” This is how a river works: You give, and it will be given to you. The more give, the more you get so you can keep giving. The river of resources is flowing in and through you into the lives of these people Jesus is talking about.

Mat 25:40 (NIV) The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” Your final exam won’t be about how much you accumulated; it will be about how much you shared with needy people. Now, let Jesus show you what happens to those who embraced Solomon’s philosophy.

Mat 25:41 (NIV) Then He will say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” When you listen to your body, the world, or the devil, they will lead you into damnation. Those things that sound good to your body, those things that pattern after the world, and those things that yield to the temptations of the devil, produce this kind of ending to your eternity.

For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.

Suppose they didn’t have the resources to do these things. What would they need to do to get those resources? Luke 6:38 (NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” If your resources are small, start out giving small. When your resources get bigger, start giving bigger. The trickle of your creek will gradually turn into a raging river.

They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?’He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ It is your choice as to who you want to listen to, pattern your life after, and spend your time, effort, and money on. As you look at the misery of Solomon, let the TRUTH of Jesus help you RESIST philosophies like Solomon’s.

Mat 25:46 (NIV) Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.