Ecclesiastes 9:9 (ESV Strong's)
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.
Truth: Life is unexpected - enjoy those you love while you can.
This morning I put my wife on a plan to see our son in another state. I will be without her for five days. As I left the airport and began to pray for her safety ... especially for her comfort as flying steals that from her. As I read this passage later, I was struck by the simply and, yet, powerful meaning. The section in chapter nine is about death and the fact that it happens suddenly. One can't predict the timing or know the manner when ends our physical life. This is what Solomon is observing. With that backdrop and context, Solomon states the above verse. We are to enjoy life with our wife. The word "enjoy" is the Hebrew word used 1,200 in the O.T. It is often translated, "see, saw, appear, look, or consider." Here the interpreters are also capturing the meaning of Solomon's word by translating the word to "enjoy." What Solomon wants us to understand is that in-light of our certain appointment with death, we ought to "consider, look, or see" the one we should love the most (our wife) and fully experience that love and that life. We often get so caught up in living we forget to consider the love of our life. We fight about trivial matters and spend our time thinking about worthless pursuits. The real meaning in life is to share that life with someone we love. That opportunity won't last forever. These next few days will be a lonely walk through life as the love of my life is away. It is temporary - but it is a stark reminder of what Solomon is reminding us. God gave us others in our lives so that we could love them. Embrace the moments while you have them.
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