It is strange to see a warning about going to church in the Bible. Chapter 5 begins with a command to “Guard your steps when you go into the house of God.” (1) This warning is against getting caught up in the emotion of a moment and offering a vow to God that you have no intention to keep. It is so easy to become enthralled in a moment. The raw emotions of the people around you reach out and draw you in. This warning is to remember that God is not someone to bargain with lightly. If you make a deal with God, He expects you to keep it.
Then, the preacher moves on to talk about wealth and honor. Neither of these often sought after things provide satisfaction. The only satisfaction is found in doing the job we are given to do in the best way we can. “Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.”(18) The more we want, the more we strive for money, wealth, and power, the farther we get from satisfaction. Joy and peace are found in doing the work that God has given each of us to do. Our true hope is in the Lord and in reconciliation with Him.
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