A Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I had a bad day today, a horrible, no good, very bad day!  I can’t really say why but there it was practically the very moment I woke up today.  Did you ever have a day like that?  I listened to the drone of an expert spewing his “wisdom” about these times on my husband’s phone, only to have another one pop up on the computer with yet another view to sell.  I am weary of this sinful crazy world.

All things are wearisome, more than one can say.  Ecclesiastes 1:8

I was brought to an unusual book in the bible today because of something that keeps going around in my head.  As I, like many others, have found themselves in a world of monotony during this time of first quarantine and now chaos and turmoil.  I have recited the words found throughout this book, “Vanities of vanities, nothing new under the sun” or another verse says, meaningless, meaningless, utterly meaningless! The book is Ecclesiastes and it is said to have been written by Solomon, son of David.  Some experts seem to think that Solomon was having somewhat of a midlife crisis.  With limitless resources, Solomon had done everything he ever wanted to do, according to this ancient reading.  He had pursued every interest that could entertain his mind good and bad but now he was saying it was all in vain or meaningless was his words.

My thoughts were focused more on the “nothing new under the sun” portion of scripture.  I have found myself marking off weeks by when the garbage man comes every week which is on Tuesday, I figure out which day it is from the bold letters on my pillbox.  I wash the dishes, only to find more dirty dishes.  I launder our clothes only to find a hamper filled with dirty clothes.  Look at what Solomon says about this in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes.

 The sun rises and the sunsets, and hurries back to where it rises.
  The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
  All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
All things are wearisome, more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;
 there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:5‭-‬9 NIV

Sounds frustrating and monotonist doesn’t it?  As I read through this book I just kept reading and hoping for a more positive ending. It was like staying up late to see if a bad movie would, in the end, turn out good?

For the most part, the words were sour and wearisome in themselves.  I searched and searched for a happy ending and finally found in the last chapter of the book of little hope the wisest thing the son of David ever said;

Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT

Somewhat anti-climatic but none the less true. We are all guilty of seeking things that give us pleasure in this life but what will count is our obedience to God and his plans.  I found myself wondering why such a book would be in the bible, yet I couldn’t miss the parts that I could see myself in.  Those things, those very human things that pop up if we don’t obey God and keep our ears and heart open to the Holy Spirit.

Now off to some happier scripture, Psalms perhaps, that can lift my heart on this horrible, no good, very bad day!