If anyone had reason to be happy it was Solomon. He had everything that most people equate with success, yet of all men he seemed to be the most miserable. And in his story we find a commentary on human nature. Everyone is on a quest for something. Some, very few, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness.But, most pursue the lust of the flesh. Whatever they pursue is with the hope of satisfaction. People are looking for something to fulfill the longings of their heart. Solomon pulled out all the stops in an effort to find it. Being in a powerful position and possessing great wealth he had the opportunity to do as he pleased, and he did. But he wasn’t pleased! Regardless of how he tried he always came up short and left empty. Exhausting every avenue, he concluded that “all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no profit under the sun” ( Ecc. 2:11). Then he added these sad words, “Therefore I hated life”( Ecc. 2:17). He was a miserable man. Every experiment was a bust.
Label Solomon a fool if you will, but we’ve all been guilty of doing the same to some extent. At some point we try to find happiness apart from God. And we always fail. It was not until Solomon turned wholeheartedly to God that he finally found fulfillment. Could we not save ourselves a lot of disappointment and pain if we learned from his mistakes and took God’s Word as our guide? Why should we keep trying things that have never worked? Perhaps we think it might be different for us, but there are no exceptions to this rule. Only Christ can meet the deepest needs of our life and satisfy the longings of our soul. Without Him we will always be miserable.
We’ve all heard and used the phrase “Happy New Year” over and over again. We use it mostly as a wish for others, but it also describes what everyone hopes for and few ever find. The good news is that, in Christ, happiness is possible. By trusting Him and obeying Him we can be happy today, tomorrow, and every day.
