Shared devotional content from the common study platform.
For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Have you ever worked hard for something, finally gotten it, and then felt... empty? That's the puzzle Solomon kept running into. He watched people exhaust themselves collecting more—more money, more things, more success—only to leave it all behind for someone else to enjoy. All that striving, he said, is like chasing the wind.
But there's another way to live. God promises wisdom, knowledge, and joy to the person who simply pleases Him. That doesn't mean being perfect; it means walking honestly with Him, doing what's right even when nobody's watching, and keeping Him first in your daily choices.
So here's the practical question for today: what are you actually chasing? Before you pour energy into getting more, pause and ask God for wisdom instead. When you seek His approval over the world's applause, He gives something money can't buy—a settled joy that stays with you even when circumstances shift.
Try holding your stuff with an open hand this week. Thank God for what you have, use it to bless others, and stop letting it define you. The person who pleases God doesn't lose in the end—they're the one who receives the best gifts of all.
Father, forgive me for the times I've chased things that don't last. Teach me to please You first, and fill my life with the wisdom and joy that only come from Your hand. Amen.
Generate grounded questions from Ecclesiastes 2:26 for personal reflection or group conversation.