Fear God and Keep His Commandments :: Ecclesiastes 12

Like smoke, life is confusing, disorienting, and hard to grasp. It often slips through our fingers and eludes our comprehension and leaves us perplexed. Similarly, we seek wisdom only to realize “he who increases knowledge, increase sorrow.” We work hard, attain great possessions only to pass them down to another person who has not worked for them without knowing if they will be good stewards over those possessions. All of these pursuits in life, even after securing them, leave us unsatisfied and “striving after wind.”  To make matters worse, death comes to us all. It is the one thing that is certain for both the righteous and the wicked. So, how do we live in light of the confusion of life and the certainty of death? It is our hope that in studying Ecclesiastes, it will help us live life as we understand that life apart from God is meaningless and living life in light of death can help us live wisely, freely, and generously.