Fool’s Gold by Lane Jordan Burday
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1: 1-3)
I loved the television series Little House on the Prairie. One episode shows little Laura panning for gold. She ended up with a whole bucket full! But then she was told it was only fool’s gold and worth nothing. All that work and effort was for nothing.
That is what the author of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon, meant when he wrote this book of the Bible. Why do we toil and labor under the sun when all we will do is die?
Our pastor, Daniel Floyd, shared this lesson at my church on Sunday, and wow! It hit home. Do we spend time and effort on things that are fake? Because life is just a vapor—we are here today and gone in a second. In fact, vapor is mentioned 38 times, and if we live without God, our life really has no meaning.
The term “under the sun” asks: as you live each day, are you committed to your own pleasures, which will end up disappointing you and becoming useless? If we only live ‘under the sun,’ then our lives are fleeting, evaporating before us with no real meaning.
So, what are we to do?
Saint Augustine said, “God has made us for Him. Our heart is restless until it rests in God.” We need to turn our hearts from our pleasures to God’s will.
How do we stop this pull to make this life our idol?
- Release your grip and control and tell God you trust Him to lead you.
- Rest in all the goodness of God. Matthew 11:28
- Rely on God’s grace. His grace is sufficient for you! 2 Corinthians 12:9
C.S. Lewis said, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Remember, we were created to be with God! And our real address is in heaven. Right now, we are just passing through!
My prayer for you is that you look at your life, see what is fake or useless, and replace it with things that will have an eternal impact.
Our soul longs for more than a normal life under the sun.
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