I once came across a scene of beauty outside Anchorage, Alaska. Against a slate-gray sky, the water of an ocean inlet had a slight greenish cast, interrupted by small whitecaps. Soon I saw these were not whitecaps at all but whalessilvery white beluga whales in a pod feeding no more than 50 feet offshore. I stood with other onlookers, listening to the rhythmic motion of the sea, following the graceful, ghostly crescents of surfacing whales. The crowd was hushed, even reverent. For just a moment, nothing else mattered.
The author of Ecclesiastes would have understood the crowds response. He sees with dazzling clarity the beauty in the created world and that God has put eternity in their hearts (3:11). Such an elegant phrase applies to much in human experience. Surely it hints at a religious instinct. Our hearts perceive eternity in ways other than the religious.
Ecclesiastes presents both sides of life on this planet: the promise of pleasures so alluring that we may devote our lives to their pursuit, and the haunting realization that these pleasures ultimately do not satisfy. Gods tantalizing world is too big for us. Unless we acknowledge our limits and subject ourselves to Gods rule, unless we trust the Giver of all good gifts, we will end up in despair.
Thank you for the beautiful devotional ... And everyday.
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