In Pursuit of the Present Life with God

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In Pursuit of the Present Life with God
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The words of the wise are like goads, and like
nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings
they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of
anything beyond these. Of making many books there
is no end, and much study is a weariness of the
flesh. Ecc. 1211-12
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The words of the wise are like goads, and like
nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings
they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of
anything beyond these. Of making many books there
is no end, and much study is a weariness of the
flesh. Ecc. 1211-12
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The Driving Desire to Enjoy Life

• No problems or trials to overcome
• No dark days no depressing times
• No poverty or worry about paying the bills
• Things I need/want when I want them
• An enjoyable job
• Life that runs smoothly w/o glitches, negative
  surprises, or long-term illnesses

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The Driving Desire to Enjoy Life

• Ecc. 224-25 There is nothing better for a
  person than that he should eat and drink and find
  enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from
  the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat
  or who can have enjoyment?

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The Driving Desire to Enjoy Life

• Ecc. 224-25 There is nothing better for a
  person than that he should eat and drink and find
  enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from
  the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat
  or who can have enjoyment?

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There Is Nothing Better

• There are no ultimates in this life
• Remember the principle of vanity to try to
  get more is grasping for the wind.
• Nothing better? Then learn to be content
• From the hand of God It is a gift. Appreciate
  the moment!
• Who can eat or who can have enjoyment apart from
  Him?

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There Is Nothing Better

• God eating drinking finding enjoyment in
  your labor the best life you can have on this
  earth!

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There Is Nothing Better

• God eating drinking finding enjoyment in
  your labor monotony grasping for the wind!

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There Is Nothing Better

• Vs. 26 For to the one who pleases Him God gives
  wisdom and knowledge and joy but to the sinner
  he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only
  to give to one who pleases God.

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There Is Nothing Better

• Therefore, if you want to find enjoyment in life
• Your goal must be God

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There Is Nothing Better

• 322
• Who can bring him to see what will be after
  him?
• We cant manipulate life to our advantage
• Rejoice now. Trust God who controls the future

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There Is Nothing Better

• 814-15
• Bad things still happen to righteous people
• Therefore, we cannot manipulate God into giving
  us a happy prosperous life
• Be joyful for what you have at the moment this
  will go with you all your life

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How to Rejoice in Life

• 46 Better is a handful with quietness than both
  hands full of toil and striving after the wind.
• Slow down! More is not better.
• Dont let urgent things crowd out that which is
  important
• Both hands full destroys the ability to eat
  and drink and enjoy good in your labor.

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How to Rejoice in Life

• 69 Better is the sight of the eyes than the
  wandering of desire.
• Having our minds on what we dont have destroys
  contentment
• Makes it impossible to rejoice in what God has
  given us now

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How to Rejoice in Life

• 710 Say not, Why were the former days better
  than these? For it is not from wisdom that you
  ask this.
• Typically happens during hard times
• It is usually deceptive
• Destroys the ability to see the good in the
  present

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How to Rejoice in Life

• 713-14 Consider the work of God who can make
  straight what He has made crooked? In the day of
  prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity
  consider God has made the one as well as the
  other, so that man may not find out anything that
  will be after him.
• There will be both good days bad days
• This is by Gods design
• It is a strong motivator to trust God

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Applying the Lesson

• Do you live as if having more, working more,
  doing more will give enjoyment?
• You are chasing the wind!

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Applying the Lesson

• If there is nothing better than eating
  drinking
• Then lay up treasure in heaven!

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Applying the Lesson

• This life was never designed to give you all you
  ever wanted.
• The vanity of this life was designed to point us
  to God
• Mt. 1625

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• God eating drinking finding enjoyment in
  your labor the best life you can have on this
  earth!

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• Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter
  fear God and keep His commandments, for this is
  mans all. For God will bring every work into
  judgment, including every secret thing, whether
  good or evil. (1213-14)