Ecclesiastes 5:20 (NIV)
He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.
Ecclesiastes 5:20 (ESV)
For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Tag: Only God Makes Work Enjoyable and Life Speed By
Reflection always seems to be a good thing. We all should take time to reflect and remember. Proverbs 22:28 tells to “remember the ancient landmarks.” God actually had the nation of Israel pile stones to mark a moment or place He did not want them to forget. It is possible, however, to so enjoy life that you simply have no interest in reflection. Your life is so full you take no time to rehearse the events of the day. Is it possible to be so filled with joy in the heart because of your work, that you don’t care about reflection? Or, better, don’t need reflection? Solomon is telling us in the above verse that ONLY God can give us joy in our hearts to make it possible that reflection is not necessary. When our lives are so trusting in God for our vocation and occupation, God can and will enable us to enjoy that work. We can and should be rejoicing in the “occupation” God gives us, since it is He who GIVES it. When we are “occupied” with what God gives us He can then keep us coupled with joy. Notice in the above verse that God is occupying this man with “joy” - not with work. We lost out in work when we work for us and for money and for power and for success. When we work for God and for His glory He will, in turn, occupy us with joy. Imagine being so occupied with joy we don’t really see our work as work. The curse of Adam in the garden was for him to work by the sweat of his brow all the days of his life. But, When God blesses our work (because we are honoring Him with it), He returns it with Joy in our hearts - to the point it is occupying us with joy, not with work.
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