April 28 I Friday

1 Kings 3-5

Luke 20:1-26

“Remember your Creator…before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain…”                         —Ecclesiastes 12:1-2

Sometimes it is hard, especially for the very young, to imagine that the old people they see were once young as they are. These older people have known the dreams, aspirations, energies, ambitions, frustrations, inadequacies and fears of youth. Under God’s direction, King Solomon would have experienced all these, but in later years, lured away from God by his pagan wives, he lived purely by human strength and desires. He called it “life under the sun,” which was living only by what was visible and tangible to him.

       In the above verse, Solomon is saying to remember your Creator before you get old, before your sight dims, your hands tremble, your joints stiffen, your body weakens and your mind deteriorates. Remember your Creator before settling into routines that are going nowhere and day-to-day living becomes dull and predictable. We do not have a trial run at life, and we can waste it on futile attempts to find satisfaction purely by human effort.

       The greatest impressions and important decisions of our lives are made when we are young, but so, too, are the greatest temptations. We can have a saved soul, but a wasted life. We are designed and intended to enjoy our youth, but Solomon, having experienced a life with God and apart from God, warns that it is possible to waste our lives. He writes, “You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 11:9). Two verses later, he says, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” If we put these two together, to find happiness and joy while we are young is to be reconciled to our Creator, to know Him and to know He is directing our lives.

       While we are young, trying to live with all the dreams and ambitions of youth, Solomon is counselling not to make the same mistake he did. “Remember your Creator,” and he adds, “before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them...’” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). This is Solomon now, living apart from God, searching for all kinds of ways to find meaning and purpose to life. Once in a while, there is a glimmer of hope, but it vanishes and his futile attempts culminate into memories of his youth, a time when he was happy, satisfied and at peace with God.

       Solomon is speaking not only from experience, but from his heart, and he tells us a life without God is utterly meaningless. Temptation lies in wait around every corner. Are we leading our youth of today in God’s direction?

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray for all our youth today that they will connect with You, and discover You are the way to a deeply contented life. Thank You, Lord.