Ecclesiastes 12

It’s interesting, isn’t it? Solomon traveled the world, tasted every delight, sampled every pleasure, and denied himself nothing. And at the end of it all, he was left to conclude that all was empty and meaningless, except for this: “Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.” (vs 13)

It’s hard to believe that a person could live the richest and most privileged life possible and come to that conclusion, but I bet if we followed in Solomon’s footsteps, we’d eventually find ourselves at that very place.

An atheist friend of mine recently asked me how I knew for sure that there was such a thing as eternal life in heaven. What if it’s not true? he wondered. I immediately thought of the lyrics to that great gospel song, If Heaven Never Was Promised to Me, and realized (for me) just how true they are:

You may ask me why I serve the Lord.
Is it just for heaven’s gain?
Or to walk those mighty streets of gold,
And to hear the angels sing?

Is it just to drink from the fountain
That never shall run dry?
Or just to live forever in that sweet ol’ by and by?

But if heaven never was promised to me,
Neither God’s promise to live eternally,
It’s been worth having the Lord in my life.
Livin’ in a world of darkness, but He brought me the light.

If there is no such place as heaven and if there is no such thing as life after death, I would still choose to live this life with the Lord. To me, the value of knowing Him and the value of the gospel is not pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by or the idea that there is some reward waiting for me when I’m done here. No, the true value of knowing Him and the value of the gospel is what it brings to my life right now. It is the value of my friendship with Him. It is the blessed experience of loving and being loved in return.

The power of the gospel is not that it promises a change of circumstances in the future! The power of the gospel is that it changes me in the midst of my circumstances right now! Living life with God in the here and now is worth it—even if this life is the only one I get to spend with Him.

For at the end of the day, there is nothing “under the sun” that can begin to compare with the quality of life we find when we have reverence for God and obey Him. Trying to live life any other way is a denial of all that we were made for!