Second Gift

18 Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. 19 Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, 20 for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart. Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Sometimes tracking a package is more exciting than receiving it. You check a screen for three days as it moves from shipped to out for delivery. But once the box is open, the contents just sit on the kitchen counter next to the mail. The wanting was more interesting than the having.

We tend to assume satisfaction follows arrival. We picture the goal reached or the quieter season finally here, and we expect peace to be waiting when we get there. The Teacher has watched people live this way. He says anyone who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and more does not settle it.

Then in verse 19, God gives riches and wealth, and he allows a person to enjoy them. Those are two gifts. The first is what lands in your hands. The second is being able to enjoy it, and it comes from God too. In chapter 6, he describes a man who lacks nothing his heart desires and is not allowed to enjoy any of it. Getting what you prayed for and having the heart to enjoy it do not always come together.

The man in verse 20 lives in the same world. His life is still short, and his work is still real. He does not often dwell on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

Even the enjoyment is received.

Father, thank You for what You have already placed in my hands. Give me the grace to enjoy what You have given me today.