The conclusion of the matter.

The molded bunny lies in the basket, surrounded by green paper "grass." With Easter morning eyes wide with anticipation, the little boy carefully lifts the chocolate figure and bites into one of the long ears. But the sweet taste fades quickly, and the child looks again at the candy in his hand. It's hollow! From my Life Application Study Bible p. 1133

How many of us have tasted life this way? A new job, new home, new car, new city...even just a purchase or night out we have great expectations for...leave us pulling back after one big bite and saying "It's hollow!" The "newness" eventually wears off. Perhaps traffic to the theater was terrible. The perfect pair of pants get a hole in them after you wear them once. A week into the new job you worked so hard for and the "honeymoon" is over. Or, perhaps quite literally in your marriage, the "honeymoon is over." At it's core, this life we live here is finite. Mortal. Wears out.

I experienced this first-hand not too long ago. All my life I dreamed of MY house. When my husband and I bought the house we have now (our first home) I, needless to say, had high expectations- and great plans. We had put off buying until he finished seminary, had suffered (so I thought) through a couple of not so nice rentals- and now we had arrived! The great American dream was ours to be had. I hadn't bothered to listen to the people who tried to tell us that the "dream" comes with cleaning, yard work, overall maintenance, and so much more. I still remember my dad saying, "Somebody's got to paint all that stuff" when he looked at the woodwork in my backyard. All I thought was, "How pretty!" Wisdom ladies...my dad had it. I did not. I didn't particularly love his comment at the time, I wanted him to expound on how great my new house was, but he was certainly right. I figured it out about six months later when I began to feel like my house owned me- not the other way around!

We've gotten some rather hard pills to swallow from Solomon in this book. He was wise ladies. We would be wise to swallow them down- even if he didn't give them to us with a spoonful of sugar. It's discomfiting to read;

The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong,

nor does food come to the wise

or wealth to the brilliant

or favor to the learned;

but time and chance happen to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

I think we dislike this for at least a couple of reasons. One being; if we are swift, strong, wise, brilliant or learned, we both like to take credit for those accomplishments and expect reward for them as well. Have you ever heard the saying, "There but for the grace of God go I?" We have no idea how our lives would be different- how WE would be different- were a few key circumstances changed in our lives.

Secondly, we like to think that those accomplishment protect us in some way. We sorted through some of this in Job. The reality is, bad things happen to good people sometimes. No amount of preparation, education, money, or favor can save you all the time. If it could- you wouldn't need God.

And THAT ladies, is the conclusion of the matter. We are meant to find this life lacking so we search for something beyond this life- and pursue it with all our hearts. All the other "stuff;" the money, knowledge, relationships, work, and pleasure; should fall into line behind the ONE thing with lasting value.

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

"Give me one pure and Holy Passion. Give me one magnificent obsession.

Give me one glorious ambition for my life, to know and follow hard after you.

This world is empty pale and poor, compared to knowing you My Lord.

Lead me on and I will run after you."