from Gary Hamrick
... Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Chapel
for Sat 09/05/2026

... Life finds its proper meaning when God, not the things under the sun, is at the center.

Ecclesiastes reminds us that life cannot be understood rightly when God is removed from the center.

Solomon had experienced what many people spend their lives pursuing. He possessed wealth, influence, accomplishment, knowledge, and pleasure. Yet when he examined life merely “under the sun,” everything seemed like vapor. The Hebrew idea behind vanity describes something fleeting and difficult to grasp. Life moves quickly, circumstances change, generations come and go, and much of what we try to control remains beyond our control.

The problem was not that life had no value. The problem was trying to find lasting meaning in things that were never designed to provide it.

Ecclesiastes repeatedly exposes the limitations of an earthly perspective. Possessions cannot satisfy the soul. Accomplishments cannot stop time. Human wisdom cannot explain every circumstance. Even recognition eventually fades. When we expect temporary things to give us permanent meaning, disappointment is inevitable.

God, however, gives us the perspective we cannot find by looking only at life under the sun. He is eternal when everything around us is temporary. He is faithful when circumstances are unpredictable. And through Jesus Christ, we are given something this world cannot provide: forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.

This does not mean believers will understand everything that happens. Scripture never promises that. Instead, we are called to trust the One who understands what we cannot. Our past can be placed in His hands, our future can be entrusted to His care, and our present can be lived in faithful obedience to Him.

Life is brief, but it is not meaningless when it is lived before God.

Lord, keep my heart from seeking lasting satisfaction in temporary things. Teach me to fear You, trust Your wisdom, and live faithfully before You through Jesus Christ. Amen.

• James 4:14 ↗ - Life is a fleeting vapor - Life is brief and uncertain, like a vapor that quickly disappears.
• Psalms 90:10-12 ↗ - Life is brief; wisdom comes from numbering our days.
• Matthew 6:19-21 ↗ - Earthly treasures fade, but treasures in heaven endure.
• Isaiah 40:6-8 ↗ - Human life and glory fade, but God’s Word endures forever.
• Proverbs 3:5-6 ↗ - Trust God’s wisdom when we cannot understand.
• John 10:27-28 ↗ - Christ gives His followers eternal life that the world cannot provide.
• 1 John 2:15-17 ↗ - The things of this world are temporary, but those who do God’s will abide forever.

Life’s Conclusion - Fear God and Keep His Commandments

• Ecclesiastes 12:1 ↗ - Remember God - Remember your Creator before the difficulties and limitations of old age arrive.
• Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 ↗ - Recognize life’s brevity - Life is temporary; the body returns to dust while the spirit returns to God.
• Ecclesiastes 12:8 ↗ - Look beyond earthly wisdom - The pursuits of life "under the sun" are ultimately fleeting.
• Ecclesiastes 12:9-12 ↗ - Fear God - Human wisdom has value, but earthly knowledge alone cannot provide ultimate answers or lasting meaning.
• Ecclesiastes 12:13 ↗ - Obey Him - The proper conclusion of life is to fear God and keep His commandments.
• Ecclesiastes 12:14 ↗ - Live in light of eternity - God will bring every deed into judgment, giving eternal significance to how we live.