Ecc 5:15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. (NIV)
I’ve mentioned that reading Ecclesiastes is hard for me because of the hopeless overtone used to drive home the point that everything is meaningless unless God is in the midst of us. I agree completely with the sentiment, but I wish God were underscored earlier and more often in this book.
Ecc 5:15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. (NLT)
This verse, however, reminds me of the need for balance in life, of the fact that life isn’t just about work. I focused so completely on my job at one point that I let it consume my identity. I saw myself as a teacher first and foremost. And while being a teacher is a crucial piece of who I am, first and foremost, I am a deeply, fiercely loved child of God. Period. Everything else is rooted in my identity in Christ.
Ecc 5:15 We leave this world just as we entered it–with nothing. In spite of all our work there is nothing we can take with us. (GNT)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Reading through Ecclesiastes is difficult because of the sorrowful undertone, but life without You is definitely sorrowful. Thank You for the hope that can only come from You. Help me to draw closer to You and to shine Your light. Always. Amen.
Ecc 5:15 They came from their mother’s womb naked. They will leave as naked as they came. They won’t even be able to take a handful of their earnings with them from all their hard work. (GWT)
Have a blessed day.