Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 - Daily Devotion - 23 March 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield and Bossley Park 1 So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.2 It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.4 There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:8 Let your garments always be white,and never spare the oil for your head.9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun. 10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.REFLECTIONSWritten by Gus CameronLast week someone asked me for some advice about how to speak to their atheist friend. I’ve been reflecting on how sad the atheist world view is. There is no justice in atheism, the good and the bad face the same fate. There is no hope in atheism, life ends in death and that’s it. The best an atheist can offer is to enjoy life as best you can, and then die.Although Ecclesiastes speaks of God, it’s description of meaningless life speaks to our world today.Today’s passage describes a world like that, a world without the God we know, without his justice and love, without Jesus and the hope his death and resurrection give us.Imagine living a life where you believe that “Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.”. Give thanks that we know that “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).Imagine living a life where you believe that there is no justice where “All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad”. Give thanks that we know Christ Jesus, ”who will judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1).In a round about way, Ecclesiastes is showing us that we have the message of life and hope that our world so desperately needs. Perhaps we could be a little more direct with our friends who live as if God does exist and challenge them to see the hopelessness of their world view. And show them the wonder and joy there   is knowing that there is life and hope in Christ Jesus. ABOUT THE AUTHORGus is one of our Assistant Ministers