The Word of God says, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.”– Ecc. 12:1
The world says, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die”. People tell us that we should do all the things on our “bucket list” before we kick the bucket. In other words, get as much pleasure out of life as you can before you can’t. But the Bible doesn’t support that view. Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). It ought to be the same for all of us. No where do you find that we have been assigned the right to make the pursuit of pleasure the top priority in our life. We have better things to do!
The following article, I found saved in my drafts, puts this matter in the proper perspective: “It is inevitable, young person, that you will eventually come to a time—perhaps even years—when you are not even able to enjoy the pleasures of this life anymore. As unthinkable as it may seem right now, you will not always be strong, free of pain, able to eat anything you want (that day is actually coming soon!), or even perhaps able to get out of bed.
Why does Solomon remind us of this fact? Is he just trying to burst our bubble or make us depressed? No. He is writing this admonition so that we will begin now to pour our hearts and lives into pleasures that even old age cannot take away.
Remember now your Creator! Don’t wait until every distraction is taken away from you and God is the only person left to talk to. Serve Him now, even in the middle of a thousand immediate pleasures that may be tempting you away from Him. Because even now He is greater than any of these pleasures.
The truth is that, in your Creator, there are “pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). He is not reprimanding us for enjoying the earthly pleasures of eating, music, painlessness, or sunsets — your Creator is the one who made these things also. But He is warning us against seeking these niceties as an end in themselves, while we are still able to enjoy them, and forgetting about the greater pleasures that never go away or diminish. In the presence of God is fullness of joy. Don’t allow yourself to be satisfied with anything less than full joy.”
As a young preacher living in Springfield, Mo.I had the privilege of becoming acquainted with several older and famous preachers. And I was in awe of them. When they spoke of their “good old days” and related their experiences I was thrilled, but also frustrated in a sense. I realized that their experiences were beyond my reach. Then one day I realized that I had something they didn’t have, nor would ever have. I had youth, strength, and boundless energy. Now, in the sense of age, I am where they were and some of you have what I had. You are young, strong, and have a great opportunity–please don’t waste it! “Remember now thy Creator”. –HDS
