The scripture for today, February 26 (2/26), is Ecclesiastes 2:26 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Are you happy regardless of how much wealth you do or do not have? Do you require things in order to be happy? Are you always out shopping around for new clothing, a new car, a new computer or television? Solomon, who wrote the above scripture, was the wealthiest man in the world, but he found it to be meaningless, a chasing after the wind. In another place in Ecclesiastes (5:10), he said that a man loving money never has enough.
Indeed, centuries later, the highly educated and intelligent apostle Paul, who did not own a home or much of anything else, explained his happiness: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:11b-12).
If you lost everything tomorrow, would you panic? Or would you use God’s wisdom and knowledge to create a new happiness? Might you look around and begin doing something you have always wanted to do but were too tied down with things to do it? If you lost everything tomorrow, might it bring a new freedom to you or paralyze you?
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TITUS; THE ARTISTICRAT was born of privilege in Antioch of Anatolia where only the influential lived. He was well educated, had a good career, married, had children. But it was all marred by a father who blamed Titus for his mother’s death. Nothing worked until decades later when he was made a slave. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/3mAmwPb
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”
“Rejoice evermore.”
“Take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.”
“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun.”
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of
“Rejoice evermore.”