Seeking the answer to life's questions

I spent the past week reflecting and catching up on school work. During my sabbath rest last weekend, I was given a verse from the Psalms. Psalm 37:4 says

Psalm 37:4 NRSV

4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I spent a while thinking and reflecting on the first part of that verse asking myself, do I know how to “Take delight in the Lord”? Sadly, my answer was at one point I did, before I became so busy with so many items. My business transformed my attitude into obedience to God. This was why I did what I did was to be obedient.

This Psalm and a good friend reminded me that it is an honor and privilege and it something that I should be joyous about. Is this why we seem to struggle to get to church half the time, because we are not truly taking delight or taking pleasure in knowing and being with the Lord?

Another passage from my daily readings reminded me that all of life is bound up in this principle. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon spends much time exploring all that can be done, achieved, known, etc. yet everything has left him feeling hopeless and incomplete. Nothing that he has learned or accomplished has given him any lasting satisfaction or joy in life, it is all vanity and chasing after wind. However, in the midst of this he does share a nugget of wisdom where he does find joy in life. Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 says...

Ecclesiastes 2:24–26 NRSV

24 There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Solomon saw how everything that we can accomplish is pointless, unless it comes from God. Here he points out that the greatest efforts apart from God, simply get passed on to someone else who pleases God. Although Ecclesiastes may seem like a cynical or depressing book, there is much wisdom in these pages that speak to our modern world where we can accomplish so much, learn so much, etc. yet still feel lacking in every way. Apart from God’s hand, it will always become vanity. From God’s hand, it will bring enjoyment. So when the Psalm tells us to delight in the Lord, perhaps we can focus on what God has done and is doing in this world, rejoice and enjoy those things rather than focusing on what we can do and come up lacking in enjoyment in life or satisfaction with our life.

So in my other readings that are about trying to reach the younger generations, an idea was introduced that there are three questions or answers to life that we all seek and draw fulfillment from.

Who am i? (What is my identity)

Where do I belong? (With whom do I belong)

What is my purpose in life?

We all seek these answers. Perhaps we find the answers to some or most of these by the time we reach an older age. Perhaps, even then we are still seeking those answers. What if we said all of these come from God’s hand? We are to seek it in God’s will.

I am giving short answers to these because, in truth, I can’t give you answers that will completely satisfy you. In truth, it must be each of us seeking the answers from God, not any human. Solomon learned this and we too must apply it. I don’t mean to say stop coming to church but must be honest that life’s questions are not answered in a sermon. Perhaps you will hear something that you want do understand more about or feel you should pray about. Follow those notions and seek God in finding the answers to life.

If you study Solomon’s life, you will see that he was given everything but in the end, he succumbed to the temptations of the world. He knew God well and was given the wisdom beyond any others, yet it did not save him. Ecclesiastes helps share his woes towards then end where he realized this. Jesus also warned us about reaching the end and being caught unaware, or waking up to a sad reality. Jesus warns the crowds about claiming to know God, but being unrecognizable to Jesus. Matthew 7:21-23 states

Matthew 7:21–23 NRSV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’

Just as in the answers to life’s questions and meaning, claiming to be a Christian, but not doing the will of God are going to leave you lacking and missing out in the end. If we seek the answers from God and we follow God’s will, we will find enjoyment in this life and the one to come. This is where Christian lip service becomes a person’s downfall. It is not to say that your works will earn your way but you cannot believe in God, yet continue to do things your own way. Learn from Solomon that everything apart from God is pointless. Living your life apart from God, yet claiming to know and be God’s child are contradictory and in the end, will not get you answers to life nor will it get you into heaven.

Let us begin this year seeking after God to learn the answers we seek. What can we do to start following God’s will, seeking and finding enjoyment in the things given from God’s hand? If we are seeking God in life, following God’s desires and will instead of our own, then we truly will find joy that is not dependent on circumstances, joy and happiness that does not fade over time, satisfaction and a sense of lasting purpose in what we do.... these are the gifts from God that we can receive!