One of the greatest joys of my nearly five decades of pastoral ministry has been preaching through books of the Bible. In trying to teach others I have learned so much myself. That certainly was true in the preparation and delivery of sermons on the book of Ecclesiastes. God used that study to work in me a deepening, resilient joy that is unafraid to look at the sorrows and hardships of life east of Eden. Through this book I am delighted to share some of the abiding lessons from Ecclesiastes with you.

A tendency that I find within myself, and I have seen often in others, is to think of life in mutually exclusive terms. It is either wonderful with no room to acknowledge the negatives or else terrible with little reason for hope and joy.

Ecclesiastes shatters both perspectives. Solomon does not take second place to the most jaded pessimist when assessing life's futilities. He is, after all, the one who has given us the phrase, "vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Yet (surprisingly to those who have never really studied his book), he also repeatedly encourages us to pursue real joy. That is because he understands that the real source of abiding joy is found not in this fallen world, but in the God whose world it is and whose creatures we are. Knowing this God sets us free to live in His world, with all its disappointments and pains, with genuine contentment and hope.

That's the message of Ecclesiastes. It is a message that is desperately needed today as we face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. There is a God in heaven. Our sin has separated us from Him. He has not abandoned us to our own devices but has come to us and made provision for us. With clarity that Solomon could not have possessed at that early stage of redemptive history, we who live today can see that God's provision is found not in precepts or principles but in a Person; specifically, in Jesus Christ.