Ecclesiastes 3:14-15
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
There is something interesting about the 7 wonders of the ancient world. All but one of them, the Great Pyramid of Giza, is destroyed. All that toil and artistry, lost to time. We think of Ecclesiastes as a book that depresses us with descriptions of the futility of man’s existence but these verses put that in context.True, everything that man does is flawed because we are flawed but all that serves to point us to the God whose work is eternal. Without God, our toil and plans, our very existence, would indeed be futile and vanity, meaningless. Because God is there and his plan is perfect, the response of man is awe and reverence.
Without God in the world today, man’s plans, aspirations, and work, would be a useless drudgery with a commensurate spike in suicides to give it emphasis. But that is not the case. Just as Ecclesiastes seems depressing if not for God, our lives today are not meaningless, despite appearances. Instead, our lives derive their meaning from the enduring work of God, in the universe, on the cross, and in our longing. The missing wonder of our hearts desire is not gone, but is seated on the throne of his glorious kingdom. Our response is not worthlessness, but worship.
O Heavenly Father, your plan and works endure forever. Thank you for the creation, the Incarnation, and our salvation. May these works of yours give our work meaning and purpose. In Jesus’ name. Amen.