The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. [Ecclesiastes 1.18]
Solomon said a lot of things in Ecclesiastes. Was everything he said right?
I cannot say for sure when the Ecclesiastes was written - at what point in Solomon's moral journey. It would seem that it might have been compiled later in Solomon's life just because of the content.
Regardless, the verse above struck a nerve with me today. It did so because we can safely say we live in times of more knowledge than ever. And yet, joy and happiness seem more elusive than ever before - we are just better decorated and more lavishly apportioned.
As long as we claim our lives as our own, we are bound to be disappointed. It is only when we recognize that we were created for God's pleasure that we find any chance of peace. And, in that, more specifically, only when we live in faith (because nothing but faith pleases God), are we most aligned with God and His plan. That faith starts with believing God's plan and God's plan is found in Jesus.
In other words, we can know a LOT of stuff. But, if we do not know Jesus, there is no hope for anything but sorrow in this life followed afterwards by eternal seperation from God (which will be a dark sorrow beyond current comprehension).
Knowledge is about facts.
Joy and peace come through faith.
Father, I want to be found in faith.
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