King James Daily Bible Study Devotional


Message Title: Exhausted And Unsatisfied
Date: Thursday June 30, 2011
Chapters: Ecclesiastes 1-2, Proverbs 30, Psalm 20
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Details of Today's Chapters: King Solomon speaks about the doctrine of the vanity of the creature, and the impossibility of finding satisfaction without God, Solomon shows that there is no true happiness and satisfaction to be had in pleasure and the delights of the senses.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,.. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” - Hebrews 6:1,10-12.

Have you ever worked so hard on something only to find out that it was wrong? If you are like me you feel lifeless, you are exhausted and unsatisfied, like you wasted the whole day and got nothing done. That is the feeling a person gets from dead works. What are dead works? Well, the word dead is defined as deprived or destitute of life. The word work means to be occupied in performing manual labor. So, dead works is being occupied performing manual labor that has no life to it. In other words, you were laboring for something that has no merit or life to it. Now, we all have days where we labor with no merit (hobbies, past times, etc) and it's okay once in a while, but we need to be careful not to get too comfortable in dead works, otherwise we will go through life exhausted and unsatisfied.

The Book of Ecclesiastes is the twenty-first book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains twelve chapters. The time line was approximately 977 BC. The author of the book is King Solomon and it was first written to the Israelites, but it is for all believers in general. The purpose of the book was to provide a description of the quest for life apart from God and to prove that Life apart from God, no matter how much one has, is vanity (worthless) and vexation (distressing) of the spirit. “For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.” - Ecclesiastes 2:26.

King Solomon was brought up by King David, a man known as the apple of God's eye. Solomon was taight by David to love the Lord His God, with all his heart, mind, and soul. Solomon became a Preacher, had the Temple of God built, and was known as the wisest and richest man on earth, he even recited the longest prayer after the Temple was built (I Kings 8:22-61). However, once he got a taste of the world it was over, one thing led to another, which got him so far away from God that he did not even know him anymore. Solomon learned one valuable lesson, without God we are never satisfied.

“I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” - Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.

Solomon admits that everything he labored for was to please his flesh, it was all worthless and was troubling to his spirit because God's will was not in it. The flesh is never satisfied, once it gets what it wants it quickly desires something else. Sadly, many today are still trying to gain fulfillment with worldly pursuits while ignoring the will of God, they are exhausted and unsatisfied, always looking for that one thing that will make them feel alive. The truth is, unless we make Christ our pursuit our labor will always be worthless and troubling to our spirit. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.” - Philippians 1:21,22.

When Solomon found out that knowledge did not give him satisfaction he turned to possessions, Solomon, whatever he desired he got it or made it, this also he found out to be exhausting and unsatisfying.

“I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:.. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” - Ecclesiastes 2:1-5,9-11.

True and lasting happiness and satisfaction consist not in mirth (social merriment), the gratifying of the appetite, the spending of money, or the getting of wisdom. Only he who sets God always before him and employs himself for God may find merriment and pleasure. Now, this does not mean that God has called everyone to work in the ministry, but it does mean that whatever job God calls you for, do it in a godly way. “He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” - Psalm 147:10,11.

Do not run yourself ragged with dead works, all it does is exhaust you and keep you unsatisfied. Do everything as if you are standing before God as He gives you your work schedule. God only rewards us for our labor when we look to Him and bring Him to work with us. Honestly, we get in less trouble when we take God to work with us too. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” - I Corinthians 3:8,9.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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