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, help me remember all the wonderful instructions God gave Solomon. Help me remember that God told Solomon how to live a beautiful, wonderful life. Help me keep in mind that the truths of God were powerful and enlightening. Let me understand that 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. Jesus, this sounds good; it definately fits in with what my body wants, what the world is trying to do, and what the devil has been trying to get me to seek. Make it clear to me that if I can believe that You just want me to be happy, Satan has won his battle against me.

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, help me understand the You want me to get my happiness out of helping others. You are willing to provide me with money, possessions, positions, popularity, prestige, power, pleasure, and accomplishments. But, You want me to use them to love and care for needy people. Show me that Solomon was saying that it was all about me being happy. It is about me being happy; but, it isn’t ALL about me being happy. Teach me that if I will seek first His (God’s) kingdom and His righteousness...all these THINGS will be given to me 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 I may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all my toil--this is the gift of God, then I will be a lake. The blessings of God will go into my life; but, they never leave me. Teach me that the way to be a river is 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?’ Jesus help me be like these people, who 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 Your 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.” Jesus, teach me that this is how a river works: I give, and it will be given to me. The more I give, the more I get so I can keep giving. The river of resources is flowing in and through me into the lives of these people You are 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.” Jesus, help me keep in mind that my final exam won’t be about how much I accumulated; it will be about how much I shared with needy people. Now, show me what happens to those who embrace 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.” Jesus, help me see that when I listen to my body, the world, or the devil, they will lead me into damnation. Those things that sound good to my 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 my 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.

Jesus, what if 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.” Jesus, help me realize that if my resources are small, then I should start out giving small. Then when my resources get bigger, I should start giving bigger. Help me believe that the trickle of my 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.’ Jesus, I understand that it is my choice as to who I want to listen to, pattern my life after, and spend my time, effort, and money on. As I look at the misery of Solomon, let Your TRUTH help me RESIST philosophies like Solomon’s.

Mat 25:46 (NIV) Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Jesus, help me do what it takes to go into eternal life.