Ecclesiastes 2:12-14

Most men have experienced times of great frustration and disappointment because they feel like they are lacking something in their lives, or that others have more. So, how do we find our way to true contentment and satisfaction, regardless of our circumstances? Join us in this 7-day devotional for men, written by Tim Bergmann of Alliance Community Church in Sylvan Lake, Alberta.

My dear friends, in the Sermon on the Mount—the longest recorded discourse of Jesus Christ in the Gospels—we find the prayer known as the “Our Father” or the “Lord’s Prayer.” Before teaching His disciples this prayer, Jesus first taught them how to pray. That is the focus of this series of reflections: what the right posture is when we approach God in prayer. Not the physical posture—whether kneeling, standing, sitting, or lying down—but the posture of the heart!

God created us to find meaning in our lives. But we live in a broken world where we’re continually frustrated in our search. So, what’s the point of living life? This is the question the Teacher in Ecclesiastes is asking. At first, the message of this wisdom book seems to lead to despair, but in fact points to the hope of life found in God alone.

Written by an elderly King Solomon, Ecclesiastes reflects on a life of meaningless pursuits. Solomon writes that the world's pursuits, from wealth to self-indulgence, are vain and unfulfilling. Ecclesiastes determines that God and his presence make life fulfilling, and true wisdom is to fear God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).