Title Find Yourself
<Don't be confident in your life>
People really like good luck. However, if you want to become a truly blessed being, do not look at ‘blessing’ but look at ‘the God who gives you blessings’. No matter how great a person may appear, do not look at them. No one in this world is sure of their own life. Don't be confident in yourself. Only have confidence in God. To live a successful life, God must fully assist you in all areas of your life. Life is short. Life without God becomes shorter. Solomon emphasizes that fact in a number of metaphorical terms.
In verse 3 of the text, “the guards of the house tremble, and the strong are crooked” is a description of the situation of old age, in which the strength and energy of old age are gone. The phrase “there are few millstones, and they cease to work” describes the old age when the teeth are missing and there is no strength to eat, and the phrase “those who look out through the windows become dark” also refers to the old age who has lost sight and cannot see well. It describes the situation.
In verse 4 of the main text, the expression “street gates are closed” describes the old age when the function of the ears deteriorates and it is difficult to discern external sounds when looking at the context of the front and rear, and “the sound of the millstone decreases” is the function of the teeth. This weakened old age describes the situation of poor chewing to the point of not being able to hear sound, and “waking up due to the sound of birds” describes the old age situation of getting up early because the older you get, the less sleep you get.
Verse 5 of the main text also describes the situation of old age, and the expression “the apricot tree is in bloom” describes the situation in which the apricot tree becomes gray due to old age, and the expression “the lust ceases” means “the sexual desire ceases”. .” is an expression. That is how life is to grow old and eventually die. Now the time of old age is coming, and the time of death is coming soon. Therefore, do not be confident in your own life. When God calls you, you must leave everything behind and leave this land.
<Find Yourself>
How can you turn an empty life into a happy life? Above all, remember God (verse 7). Solomon exclaimed that all things were in vain, even though he lived in glory above anyone else (verse 8). He had many possessions, but he had the same despair, discouragement, and disillusionment with life. So he lamented, “There is nothing new under the sun,” but as he nears the end of his writings in Ecclesiastes, he begins to focus on someone as if sprinkling a brilliant light in the dark. He is 'God'. That's why we say, "Remember God the Creator!"
When ‘God’ appears in a person’s heart and mind, all darkness disappears at that moment. The meeting disappears too. Life under the sun is in vain, but life looking to God above the sun is never in vain. There is always hope in God. So, before you grow old and lonely, live more God-centered. Now, like Solomon's confession, the time will come when he will soon say that there is no pleasure. Life is a life that will soon disappear like a single leaf. To make such a life overflowing with hope of eternal life, look to God more.
What is the biggest problem of modern people today? It is to lose one's existence and live. Many modern people live in a miserable state of alienating themselves. However, if you can realize your own miserable and empty image, your soul becomes a hopeful soul. Because then we can draw closer to God. Now find yourself in God. When you find yourself, you also find confidence.
The happiest life in this world is a life that draws closer to God. Pascal said: “To know the Lord without knowing one's misery begets pride, and to know one's misery without knowing the Lord begets despair.” Philosophy begins with wonder, but faith begins with these questions. “Where am I now? How do I live now?” With such a sense of problem, find yourself in God and find your confidence. And live in true rest and peace in the love of God.