ASLC Devotions -- Monday

Ecclesiastes 2:13-14 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.
The wise have eyes in their head,
   but fools walk in darkness.
Yet I perceived that the same fate befalls all of them.

The book of Ecclesiastes is in part kind of a thought experiment about what brings true joy and meaning to life. It's a set of questions that we all deal with through our lives, whether we acknowledge the questions that obviously or not. Sometimes we don't know that we're trying to find joy and meaning in our lives, but if we sit back and think about it, that's really what it's about.

So the writer of Ecclesiastes, traditionally thought to be King Solomon, known as the wisest person in the history of humanity sets out to figure out what is really worth something in life.

And he acknowledges that wisdom is really good. Wisdom is a good thing. If you have to choose between being wise and being a fool, go with being wise. It's kind of like being in the light as opposed to being in the dark.
And yet it's not everything. As he says, "the same fate befalls all of them." The wise still die. The wise still lose things. The wise still experience sadness and loss, just like fools. So wisdom is valuable. But it's not everything. The only thing that brings value and meaning to life is a relationship with the God of the wise and the foolish. In God our lives are wrapped up into meaning and value.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org  To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.