Live life for what's above the sun not under it.

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest" (Ecc. 9:10).

The book of Ecclesiastes describes Solomon's search for the meaning of life apart from divine revelation. The key phrase to understanding the book is "under the sun." In other words, Solomon is looking at things in life from an earthly perspective. The conclusions that he reaches in the book on various aspects of life are based on his earthly wisdom, observations and life experiences. Therefore, his conclusions must not be taken as divine truths that we are to fully accept and apply to our lives. There are some truths in many of Solomon's conclusions that are based on his earthly observations, but because they're merely earthly observations, they must be carefully examined in the light of all scripture. Solomon's conclusions contain truths, half truths and completely false statements. And because they lack divine revelation his conclusions about life are filled with cynicism. If this book is nothing more than a earthly perspective on life, why did God include it in the cannon of scripture? "Its purpose is to save us from walking the same dreary path of frustration, pessimism, and meaninglessness. If the wisest and richest man could not find fulfilment "under the sun," what chance do we have?"

The Apostle Paul wrote, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Apart from the hope we have in Jesus Christ, life would be utterly meaningless. Live life for what's above the sun not under it.