We are familiar with James 1:17. In it, we are reminded that every good and every perfect gift is from above. Furthermore, God, who gives us these gifts, is eternal and consistent. He is dependable and doesn’t shift like the shadows. However, much earlier, King Solomon had also written about God as a giver of good gifts. In Ecclesiastes 3:12-14, he wrote:
12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor–it is the gift of God. 14 I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever.
Recently, Rev John Kok, the fatherly Senior Pastor of Kuala Lumpur Baptist Church shared on the topic. The preceding week, the church of KLBC had studied Ecclesiastes 3:11:
He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 is a reminder of God’s perfect timing. It is about trusting God’s perfect timing for our lives. Rev John shared that we are so used to making our own plans that we forget God’s perfect timing can be completely different from what we imagine and plan. In Isaiah 55:8-9, the prophet Isaiah recognized that God’s ways are higher than ours. God is omniscient and omnipotent, and He rewards and gives out righteous judgment at all times and at the perfect time. He knows what is best for us. God sees what is ahead in the future and He will take us on the best route to a successful future, one that is filled with peace and happiness, and blessing. As His children, we ought to trust Him and allow Him to lead and guide us.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-14 is a declaration that God gives good gifts and that whatever He does shall be forever. As we make our way in life, there comes the question: What do we want in life? God’s thoughts and His ways are for us to be happy, to do good, to eat and drink, and to find authentic satisfaction in life.
To be happy is the ability to rejoice and enjoy life. Happiness is being content with who we are, having a solid group of friends who are willing to accept us, or having the ability to follow our wildest aspirations. The benefits of happiness are many. One of the most well-known of these is found in Proverbs 17:22 where it’s said that A cheerful heart is good medicine, long before studies have shown that longevity is intrinsically linked with happiness.
Rev John shared that happiness is not a worldly lesson but God’s intent for us. Happiness is a choice, it is within our control and no one can decide it or take it away from us. It is not difficult to find happiness. The secret is in finding fufilling activities so long as they do not disrupt our relationship with God.
‘Do what gives you meaning, think positively, and treasure your experience and moments more than your possessions. Write down why you are grateful. Practise mindfulness and dedicate some time to helping others. Don’t hold on to grudges or compare yourself with others, spent your time with good company,’ shared Rev John. This is what we learn from Solomon: ‘I know there is nothing better for a man than to be happy.’
Secondly, the ability to produce divine good in one’s lifetime is also a gift from God. This is one of the ways we find fulfillment in life, doing good in our lifetime. Galatians 6:10 encourages us to redeem the time, to grab the opportunity to help others whenever they come.
‘We are to redeem the time for Christ and help people,’ encouraged Rev John. We are all given an equal amount of time, no matter who we are and no matter our status or occupation. Utilise it to the max. While happiness is an inward condition, doing good to others has an outward flow. It extends happiness to others. Doing good often does not cost much to us and we can all do it. Some simple ways are to give kind words to others, extend a helping hand to our family and friends in need, to be more involved in community and charity work within our society. It is in learning how to value the time we have for others. The lesson we learn from Solomon is that there is ‘Nothing better than to do good while we live‘.
The third gift from God that Solomon discovered is that the appetite to eat and drink is also a gift from God. Rev John expressed that Malaysia is a blessed nation. Few nations in the world have the diversity in culinary experiences as ours, and furthermore, we can find good food wherever we go and no matter the time of the day. Like happiness, taste and appetite is not a worldly lesson. We are encouraged in 1 Corinthians 10:31, that whether we eat or drink, to do it to the glory of God. The Bible describes a huge feast in Heaven around the master table in the Book of Revelations.
‘Wealthy people may not necessarily have a good appetite. Like a good night’s sleep a good appetite cannot be bought,’ Rev John brought into reflection. Appetite can be affected by health and too much worrying. It is a gift from God so that we may enjoy good food for the nutrition, strength, and health of our bodies. If we can still eat and drink today thank God for it. A third lesson we can learn from Solomon: there is no better gift than that everyone may eat and drink.
At the end of it, to be able to find life satisfaction is also a gift from God. Satisfaction is the state of being content, the feeling that one’s needs or wants are met. Rev John shared that satisfaction seems to be a rare condition in our world today, and it’s getting rarer day by day. Many people express dissatisfaction – with their jobs, circumstances, and with themselves. The question is where do we find our satisfaction from? To be able to find life satisfaction is a gift from God.
Psalm 37:4 reminds and encourages us that if we delight in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. This is reaffirmed in Psalm 37:5. God wants to give us the desires of our hearts, and in v6 we find the promise that He will make our righteousness shine like the dawn. To hope in the Lord is to inherit the land and enjoy great peace. It comes with the promise that the power of the wicked will be broken and that the Lord delivers and upholds the righteous.
Where do we find our satisfaction from? Rev John conveyed that it is in being free from hatred, being loving and forgiving. When we have the gift of satisfaction, we have joy; a sense of reaching a goal, or a measure of success. When we have the gift of satisfaction, we have contentment and we can be content with our circumstances. We don’t need to constantly pursue and demand in an endless race for more or something flashier than our friends. And we gain the understanding that we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of this world.
Most importantly, the Bible teaches that finding life satisfaction depends on having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, which produces a great capacity for joy, and where our hunger and thirst, and our souls are satisfied (Psalm 73: 25-26). ‘Uncover our true purpose in being here and we don’t waste our time chasing after soap bubble dreams of happiness because we know our Creator has a better plan for us and it is beautiful in His time,’ encouraged Rev John. The lesson from Solomon: the capacity to find satisfaction in all our toil.
To be happy, to do good, to eat and drink, to find satisfaction in life. All of these are not worldly lessons but gifts from God, and nothing can be better than any of them because they are from God! We live in a time where many of us are struggling to enjoy the things that we are meant to enjoy.
We are to be happy but depression is on the rise with a myriad of cited reasons; family, health, financial, work-related, and children problems. This world is full of challenges, but if we have faith and put everything before God, we can be happy.
We are to do good (Matthew 5:16) but generally, people have become self-absorbed and isolated, building up their own careers, and have no time for others. Let us not grow weary in doing good for in due time and season we will reap what we sow. The Bible exhorts us to be kind and tender-hearted with one another as God in Christ forgave us.
We are to eat and drink but many are unable to. It may be health-related, but there are also reasons like vanity. Food and appetite are gifts from the Lord, given out of His provision. Saying grace at every meal is a good practice for it helps us to remember His good provision.
We are to be satisfied in life but many are not able to be satisfied because they are not content and happy with what they already have. This even includes rich and successful people because they set high expectations for themselves and others. They set a high bar for their abilities and performances and feel frustrated when they come short. Or they look for satisfaction from what others have and there’s always something; a better car, a better house.. and the desire to have more keeps on increasing and increasing. ‘If we hope for satisfaction in the world, hope it from God,’ Rev John encouraged. He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things (Psalm 107:9).
Are we enjoying God’s gifts today? Are we able to be happy and enjoy the simple pleasures of life? People have made life complicated and confusing when all God really expects us is to be at peace, to enjoy the simple pleasures of life that He has given us as we serve and walk with Him. Let us learn to focus on His gifts and blessings.
In closing, Rev John shared that many people fear God because they see Him as a fierce and angry being who is only interested in the dos and don’ts and nothing else. The reality is that God is a loving Father who loves and cares for us so much that He gave through His Son Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind, to forgive us of our sins, to have eternal life, and who wants to bless us so that we may have the simple pleasures of life; to be happy, do good, be able to eat and drink, and be satisfied in life.
God is not just the God of the dos and don’ts and commandments, but also the God who wants us to enjoy the simple life that He has taught us in His word.
Note: This is an adaptation of a sermon shared by Rev John Kok at Kuala Lumpur Baptist Church on the 28th of May 2023. You may access the full sermon from KLBC’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/live/KE3IV6wvqa4?feature=share
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