Old Testament Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 18 (KJV)
Ecc 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:13 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.
Ecc 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecc 1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ecc 1:16 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.
Ecc 1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Ecc 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Romans 8:18 – 23 (KJV)
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) King Solomon made an observation from the vantage point of being the most wise man that, everything in the world because of the problems inflicted upon the creation is vanity and striving after wind; and that the more you learn the more you realize the utter worthlessness of it all.
2) The Apostle Paul after his conversion takes us deeper into this problem by revealing that it is because of the curse of sin that was introduced by Adam that God’s curse came upon the entire creation causing the reality of worthlessness, but that by developing Spiritual Assessment of the vanity of life in the fallen world, our trials and conflicts are producing more glory in the new creation, which is the promised Kingdom that Jesus has secured for everyone who puts their trust in Him!
3) Walking by faith through a correct understanding of God’s Word will help us learn to be content even as we go through trials and conflict, because through the Spirit we have been made able to see what cannot be known from mere human knowledge which should provide motivation to do the will of God without becoming dissatisfied with the fruitlessness of things in this life.