I hope the meaninglessness of the last few weeks haven’t started to depress you yet. I know I have really started looking at things differently over the past month, as you start viewing some things of this world as the true futility that they are. But let me tell you to take hope, stick with us, because it all comes out good in the end.
Today we will continue on our journey through Ecclesiastes with chapter 5 verses 13-17. In these verses Solomon continues to take a look at the futility of wealth. In these 5 verses Solomon speaks of a severe evil that he sees across the land, the fact you can’t take your wealth with you. You spend your life toiling and working to achieve something, yet in the end you go out the way you came in; with nothing. Verses 15 & 16 say:
"15 As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return,
To go as he came;
And he shall take nothing from his labor
Which he may carry away in his hand.
16 And this also is a severe evil—
Just exactly as he came, so shall he go.
And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?"
Have you ever met someone who held tightly on to money? As a child I admired this type of lifestyle, my childhood hero was Donald Trump, (I even owned his board game). I not only wanted to be rich, but I wanted to be rich for selfish reasons. I used to tell my parents I wanted a big house, and an even bigger fence, to keep out those people who wanted my money. For years all I could think about was having money and lots of it.
Well to make a long story short, God has changed my views on this. Not that I am opposed to money, but I no longer live to acquire it, and I no longer wish to horde it. I guess its good I never bought into the whole idea of prosperity theology, or I would be in trouble now.
So today let me challenge you to take a look at your own views on money. Do you live to acquire it, do you desire to have huge amounts of it. Does making money control your life to the point you hold your work life to lower standards then the rest of your life. If you answered yes to these questions then today perhaps its time to look at where your priorities lie.
Now for the hope I mentioned earlier. In verse 15 we see that there is nothing we may carry away in hand. But there is something we can take from this life, and that is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you have that relationship today, are the things you’re doing here on earth going to count for something in eternity. Matthew 6:19-21 says:
"19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Remember today, store up your treasures in heaven, because as for the ones here on earth, you cant take them with you.

