WEDNESDAY: I NEED TO TEST MY HEART

Oct 12, 2022
2 min read

Ecclesiastes 2:1-9

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore, enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. I said of laughter— “Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. So, I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also, my wisdom remained with me.

If I want to be wise, I should test my heart. Solomon’s way of testing his heart was to seek pleasure. He searched his heart to determine how to gratify his flesh with wine, to determine if it would satisfy his heart. Instead, it taught him how to lay hold of folly, and this too was vanity—it was vain and fleeting.

Next, he tested his heart with great works—he built houses, he created a vineyard business—making the wine he loved. He made gardens and orchards full of fruit trees. He planned irrigation systems with water pools to irrigate the trees. He acquired herds and flocks to sell and provide food. And he acquired servants to run his enterprises. All this yielded much wealth in silver and gold.

He acquired singers and musicians to entertain. Through all of this, he did not find anything which satisfied his heart; this too was vain and fleeting.

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS

I can learn a lot from Solomon. I can learn how to test my heart also. Don’t I need to learn these lessons for myself before I embrace the solutions as my own? It seems that if I don’t make the same mistakes, I may not learn the same lessons. Life is but a breath or vapor. My breath comes from God; He provided it to me. The things I do with this breath should glorify Him. He asks me to seek Him first, and all the things I need will be added unto me. What I really need is accountability in seeking Him.

Lord, thank You for the breath You provide me each day. While life on earth is fleeting, You guide me to eternity in the heavenly realms. Let me use my life to glorify You. Amen.

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman