*DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL* *FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019* *TOPIC: NOT VAIN AFTER ALL* *Text: Ecclesiastes 12:8-14.*

*DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL*

*FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019*

*TOPIC: NOT VAIN AFTER ALL*

*Text: Ecclesiastes 12:8-14.*

_Key Verse: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13)._

*MESSAGE*
When a rich man excludes God from his life and embarks on a journey seeking only the pleasure, he cannot but conclude at the end of it all that it has been a futile search.

He would learn, as King Solomon did, that when the Lord endows a person with enormous wealth, he needs to seek divine counsel on how not to allow the riches to transform into an idol that drowns one in a sea of vanities.

Being blessed with such heavenly wisdom allows one to know that life is not about dependence on the emptiness of riches.

Solomon waded through an ocean of riches, swimming in a plenitude of resources that made him take a flight from considerations of eternal value.

He was rooted to this world and its deceptive pleasures. He got anything he desired as long as it gave him excitement. He completed his quest for fun with the ultimate in polygamy.

But the joy Solomon looked for through riches and pleasure eluded him. Why?

Life resting on itself or on the things of the ephemeral world for existence is meaningless and vain.

Real life is about the connection to the Source of life. Living in true joy is about pleasing the Giver of life, not in pleasing oneself.

Any venture that describes this view is doomed and bound to experience the tragic frustration.

Therefore, the book of Ecclesiastes concludes fittingly with the instruction that "the whole duty of man, is to "fear God, and keep his commandments."

Those who fear God and honour His laws will not go after pleasure but "seek... first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."

That way they will not end life being miserable and empty in the midst of plenty.

They will see life as God's possession to only hold in custody, not for carnal pleasure but for His use.

*Thought For The Day:* All is not vanity for sincere Christians.

Cover To Cover: Revelation 9-11.

*MEDITATION*

Need true and lasting fulfilment with satisfaction?

1. Where you cannot find true satisfaction

a. Solomon, the wisest kings, experimented with popularity, prosperity, power, philosophy (knowledge) and pleasure (minus God). He discovered "all is vanity" v8.

b. He experimented with acquisition of knowledge, for the sake of it, without seeking after God's knowledge. It could not give lasting satisfaction too v12.

c. There is no wisdom in experimenting on these again because the wisest of kings has spoken: "All is vanity"

*Reflection: Are your ambitions, aspirations and actions centering on those vanities?

*Lord, open my inner eye to always see vanity as vanity no matter the deceptive tag the world put on it 🙏

*Lord, don't allow me to be deceived by the vanities of this world at any time🙏

2. Path to true and lasting satisfaction

a. Discover and experience the fear of God in your heart v13.

*Question: Do you really have the fear of God that literally run from sins like Joseph?

*Ask for more fear of God through the revelations knowledge of God🙏

*Pray for youths in your Church to have the fear of God like Joseph🙏

b. Diligently study and obey His commandments vv12, 13.

c. Let your ambitions, affections and activities be God centred v13.

d. Discover, moment by moment, what God wants yo to do and achieve in life e.g. to teach others His word, ways and will; to invent things that will help humanity; etc vv9,10.

e. Totally dedicate your life to achieving God given purpose for your life and humanity with the sole aim of glorifying God and "filling the gap" in church, community and clan vv9-11.

*Lord, guide me to discover your purpose for my life and keep me from vain distractions🙏

Hymn: More About Jesus Would I Know

1. More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of his saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.

Refrain:
More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.

2. More about Jesus let me learn,
More of his holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me.

3. More about Jesus in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing his voice in ev'ry line,
Making each faithful saying mine.

4. More about Jesus on his throne,
Riches in glory all His own;
More if His kingdom's sure increase;
More of His coming, Prince of peace.