Already Accepted
“Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.”Ecclesiastes 9:7 (KJV)
This time of year, a lot of us feel guilty about enjoying things. Or we spend to prove something, to ourselves or to others. Solomon offers a different way to hold the good gifts of life.
“Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.” Notice the order. The joy doesn’t earn acceptance. It flows from it.
Paul says the same to Timothy. The rich are not to trust in riches, “but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” God isn’t stingy. He gives so we can enjoy, as stewards who know whose gifts they are.
So enjoy the meal this Christmas. Enjoy the people at the table. Hold it all with open hands, give generously, and don’t spend to be approved. In Christ you already are.
Read it yourself
Read Ecclesiastes 9:7–10. What does Solomon tell us to do with whatever our hand finds to do?
Do you enjoy God’s gifts with gratitude, or with guilt, or as a way to prove yourself?
Father, thank you for giving me richly all things to enjoy. Help me receive your gifts with joy and hold them as yours. Amen.