Living Each Day Joyously

Ecclesiastes chapter 8, learning to live each day joyously. We're going to call this wisdom's jubilation. Wisdom's jubilation. Last week it was wisdom's manifestation. And wisdom is manifested best in submission to authority. All throughout Ecclesiastes chapter 7, we have seen all kinds of things concerning what wisdom is. So we tried to define wisdom for you by looking at the book of Ecclesiastes only and the book of Proverbs by telling you that wisdom simply is a God-given ability whereby you are able to observe life beyond the sun in all of its dignity and beauty.

In order that you might be able to operate in life under the sun with stability and tranquility. That's what wisdom is as Solomon gives it to us. We can sum it up by saying that wisdom is the application of truth to life. The problem is that gets very difficult at times. And how do I really apply the truth to living every day for the glory of the Lord? Well Solomon is going to talk to us tonight about how we can live each day joyously. And the problem with that is that most people don't. Most people have a hard time finding any kind of joy in life.

And so Solomon is going to address that for us in Ecclesiastes chapter 8. Most of us think that joy comes when things change in my life. We would not say that out loud. But for the most part that's what we think. We think that if my marital situation changes, I'll have joy. If I'm single, if I can just get married, joy will finally come.

If I'm married, I think, wow, if I was married to somebody else, maybe I'll have joy. Instead of the one I'm married to. We think that somehow if my marital status changes, then I can really find joy in life. Now people wouldn't come out and say that, especially if you're married. We wouldn't say, well yeah, if I was married to so and so instead of this person, well maybe I might find joy. But down deep that works in people's lives. Others think that if my job changes, I'll have joy. We work in places we can't stand.

Don't like our boss, don't like the environment, don't like how far I have to drive, don't like the situation at work. But if I get another job, a different job, then you know what, that will be joy for me. Some of us think that if we just move out of state, we'll have joy. Because there's no joy here. Some people think that if I just change churches, I'll be more joyous. Because I've lost joy at this church, so maybe if I go to a new church with a new ministry and new opportunity and new families, I'll finally find joy.

The problem with that is that there's one common denominator in all of that. And that's you. Because your marriage isn't the problem. Your job's not the problem. Your church isn't the problem. The state you live in is not the problem. You are the problem. In terms of finding joy every moment of every day. We tend to think if my physical condition changes, I can finally find joy.

Especially if you've been sick for a long time. But that's not the case either. Think of the Apostle Paul. I mean, he had a thorn in his side given to him from a messenger of Satan. And yet he said, Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, Rejoice. He lived a whole life of joy. In fact, he said that while he was in prison. His circumstances didn't have to change. He didn't have to get out of prison to have joy. He had joy in prison. Paul and Silas, they were in prison singing praises to God. Why?

Because joy filled their hearts. It wasn't getting out of prison that gave them joy. It was finding joy every day in the situation they found themselves in. Joseph, he was a man filled with joy. And he was abandoned by his family, sold into captivity. Found himself in prison, forgotten. But yet there was a joy about his life. That caused him to be so uniquely different than everybody else. So how is it that I live each day joyously? To begin with, let's go to the book of Habakkuk. The book of Habakkuk.

For no other reason than just to find out where it is in the Old Testament. Right? The book of Habakkuk. Now, Habakkuk was a prophet of the Lord. And he was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Zephaniah and Nahum. And he was prophesying right before Israel was about to go into Babylonian captivity. Jehoiakim was the king at the time, and he was a wicked, evil king. And Habakkuk had to prophesy concerning Israel's future. And yet he was extremely perplexed as to what God was going to do. Now you need to know that Habakkuk's name means to embrace.

That's very important. Because he actually had to learn how to not just embrace the situation that was upon him and Israel. But he really had to embrace the God who was in charge of that situation. And sure enough, Habakkuk would have to learn how to embrace his God. So look with me at chapter 1, verse number 1, when it says the oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and you will not hear? I cry to you, violence, yet you do not save. Why do you make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness?

Yes, destruction and violence are before me. Strife exists, and contention arises. Therefore the law is ignored, and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous. Therefore justice comes out perverted. Lord, I've cried to you, and it's as if you don't hear. And my concerns are about all the violence, and all the injustice, and all the iniquity that's happening. So the question comes, Lord, are you listening to your prophet? Listen to God's response, verse 5. Look among the nations, observe, be astonished, wonder, because I am doing something in your days you would not believe if you were told.

God says, I'm about to do something that's going to be unbelievable to you. In fact, I'm going to do something you're not really going to understand, Habakkuk. You're going to be astonished. You're going to wonder. In chapter 1, he wonders and he worries. In chapter 2, he's going to watch and wait. But in chapter 3, he's going to worship. But in the meantime, he's wondering what God's going to do. So God says in verse number 6, They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand. They mock at kings, and rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress and heap up rubble to capture it. Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on, but they will be held guilty. They whose strength is their God. He begins to explain to Habakkuk the strength of the Babylonians. The fierceness and the fastness of their horses. And all the things that they do, they laugh at kings.

They mock at kings. They mock fortresses because they're unstoppable. And so you come to verse 12 and Habakkuk is puzzled. Perplexed at the providence of God. So he says, Are you not from everlasting? Oh Lord, my God, my Holy One. We will not die. You, oh Lord, have appointed them to judge. And you, oh rock, have established them to correct. Note what he says. He calls God everlasting. He calls God the Holy One. He calls God the rock. He's perplexed because if you are present everywhere because you're eternal, how can you let this happen?

If you are pure because you're holy, how can you let an impure people come against your chosen nation? If you're the rock, if you're the mighty God, if you're the all-powerful God, how is it you can't stop this? So he appeals to God based on his character, based on his nature. God, why is it you do this? When you have all these attributes that define you. And he says, Your eyes are too pure to prove evil, and you cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why do you look with favor on those who deal treacherously?

Why are you silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they? Why have you made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things without a ruler over them? The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, drag them away with their net, and gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore, they rejoice and are glad. Therefore, they offer a sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their fishing net because through these things their catch is large, and their food is plentiful.

Will they therefore empty their net and continually slay nations without sparing? I will stand on my guard. I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart, and I will keep watch to see what he will speak to me and how I may reply when I am reproved. He stops and says, Okay, Lord, reprove me. I'm going to stand. I'm going to watch. I'm going to listen.

You speak. And so God speaks. All through chapter 2 he speaks. And he makes sure in verse 5 of chapter 2 with that famous statement, The righteous shall live by faith. So Habakkuk, you're going to have to trust me. You're going to have to listen to what I say and believe what I say because that's living by faith, and the just shall live by faith. And then he says in verse 20 of chapter 2 these words, But the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him. And then Habakkuk offers a prayer.

Listen to what he says. Lord, I have heard the report about you, and I fear. Now he begins to embrace his God. Until you learn to fear God, you will never embrace him for who he is. He says these words, Oh, Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make it known. In wrath, remember mercy. Psalmist in Psalm 119 in verse 120 said, My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. I wonder if your flesh trembles because of God. Habakkuk says, I've heard the report, and I'm afraid.

I fear you. In fact, he says over in verse number 16, I heard, and my inward parts trembled. When I heard what you're going to do and how you're going to do it, my inward parts trembled. He says at the sound, my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones. And in my place, I tremble. Isaiah tells us in chapter 66, verse number two, God says to this man, will I look?

To him who is broken and of a contrite heart, and who trembles at my word. Here's Habakkuk. He's trembling at the word of God. He's heard what God has said about the Babylonians. He's heard about the fierceness of this people group. Now God's going to use them to bring judgment upon God's people. So he says, because I must wait quietly for the day of distress. Here's his beginning of learning how to embrace God. It begins with learning how to rest in God, to rest quietly in God. He says, for the people to arise who will invade us, though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit in the vine, though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord.

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he has made my feet like hinds feet, and makes me walk on my high places. I will rest in you. I will rejoice in you, and I will rely on you, for you are my strength. I will exult in God alone. I will rejoice. I will live each day joyously. He's begun to embrace his God for all that he is. Notice that his circumstances didn't change, but God changed Tobacco, so that when he observed the circumstances, he observed them through the lens of God.

He saw them differently. He saw God's providence. He saw God's sovereignty. He saw God's power. He saw God's purposes. He saw that God was in charge. And so God says, I'm not going to change your circumstances.

In fact, they're going to be worse than you think they're ever going to be. But Habakkuk says, though everything fails, though there be no cattle in the stall, though the olive branches do not flourish, though everything is destroyed, I will exult in my God. I will rejoice in my God. Why? Look what he says. He has made my feet like Heinz feet. He has made my feet sure, steadfast, swift like a deer, and makes me walk on my high places. Listen carefully. When you rest in God, when you rejoice in God, when you rely on God, you are raised up by God above your circumstances.

David said the same thing over in Psalm 18, verse number 30. As for God, his way is blameless. The word of the Lord is tried. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him. For who is God but the Lord? And who is a rock except our God? The God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless. He makes my feet like Heinz feet and sets me upon high places. That's where Habakkuk got it from. He got it from King David. David says, look, I have been pursued by Saul. David was anointed king of Israel at the age of 16 by Samuel in a private anointing on the backside of Bethlehem.

It would be 15 years before he became king over Hebron or in Hebron. 15 years of Saul's pursuit, his relentless pursuit where he tried to kill David. And David's the king. Saul's the king too, but his throne has been taken from him by God and yet nobody recognizes it except for David and his men, his little band of men. But he's pursued by Saul relentlessly, sleeping in caves, sleeping in hard places. And yet for 15 years, that's the way it was. But he says, you know, my God's a rock and my God has raised me up like a swift and steadfast deer on a mountaintop.

It would be another seven and a half years for David until he became king over all of Israel. 22 and a half years after he was anointed king of Israel, he finally became king over all of Israel.

His circumstances were not desirable, but God raised him up, gave him strength. He would go on to say in verse 34 of Psalm 18, he trains my hands for battle so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of your salvation and your right hand upholds me and your gentleness makes me great. You enlarge my steps under me and my feet have not slipped. In verse 46, he says, the Lord lives and blessed be my rock and exalted be the God of my salvation. Way back in Genesis chapter 15, verse number one, God said this to Abram.

He said, after these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you. I am your very great reward. Abram, you got to embrace me. No matter what happens in your life, I am your reward. I am your satisfaction. I am everything to you. You need to know that. You need to learn that, Abram. It took Abraham a long time to learn that because it would be 25 years before he ever had the promised son. He had to wait. And of course, if you know the story, he and his wife were really tired of waiting.

But God didn't change the circumstances. God had a plan. It was to move on time, on course. And God was going to work in a great and mighty way. And as he began to embrace his great reward, he could live joyously every single day. As Habakkuk would learn to embrace his Lord, who was his reason for joy and exaltation, he would be able to live joyously every single day. You are here tonight simply because you've made an effort to be here. Some of you drive a long way. For a lot of you, it's inconvenient to come on Wednesday nights.

Got to fight the traffic. Got to pay the gas. Got to get the kids together. Got to feed them quick. Throw them in the back of the car. Buckle them in. Get them here. Get them off the class. Get to the auditorium. You have to make an effort to be here. And in your effort to be here, the blessing comes because you begin to understand how you can begin to live each day joyously. You've redeemed the time. You've decided to be here instead of do something else. And God will bless you because of that. Because you'll hear the word of the Lord, understand how to live each day joyously, and begin to embark on a journey that will allow you to exalt in God, to embrace your God, to rest in your God, to rely upon your God without there being any changes in your circumstances.

Because that's not the answer to your joy. No. Now, wisdom says you're able to observe life beyond the sun in all of its beauty and dignity so that you can operate in life under the sun with stability and tranquility. That's what wisdom does. So, go with me, if you would, to the eighth chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes. Let me read to you what Solomon says.

Verse 10. So then I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This to us utility. Because a sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life still, I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear him openly. But it will not be well for the evil man.

He will not lengthen his days like a shadow because he does not fear God. There is utility which is done on the earth. That is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is utility. So I commend pleasure or joy for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be joyous. And this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth, even though one should never sleep day or night, and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done in the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover. And though the wise men should say, I know he cannot discover. And you say, how in the world do you get wisdom's jubilation out of that? How in the world do I learn to live each day joyously out of those three paragraphs?

Well, that's why you're here. So I'm gonna tell you. In three ways you might not ever expect. And that could be the very reason why you can't live each day joyously. But if you understand Solomon and his journey and what he wants to convey to you and begin to realize that in this journal, he gives us everything that will enable us to live under the sun. In a way that honors the Lord and brings joy to your heart. Remember, he was on a search. He's been on a search for a large part of his life. Trying to find meaning and satisfaction, some kind of joy, some kind of happiness in life.

Realizing there's so much futility in his efforts. But now he's going to begin to sum everything up because the latter half of the book of Proverbs is all about wisdom. And now he's gonna begin to show you the right way and begin to explain to you. Listen, wisdom's jubilation is seen in three specific areas. Okay? Number one is this.

I begin to live joyously when I remember, when I remember my ultimate duty in life. And that ultimate duty is to fear God. Look what he says. Verse 10. So then I have seen the wicked buried. In other words, he's been to a funeral. And of course, Solomon talks a lot about death. We'll see this even next week in chapter nine as he gives more details about death. But he talks a lot about death because he realizes that that's the end of man. And man's life is very short. So he says, I've been to a lot of funerals, seen men buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, from Jerusalem.

And they are soon, maybe your text says forgotten, better translated, praised in the city where they did thus. This too is futility. In other words, I've been to a funeral. You've been to them. Of wicked people who die and they had nothing but good things to say about them. They praised them in their death. They hated them when they were alive. But now that they're dead, they can just praise them for all that they are and all that they were. And you sit there and think, wait a minute. That's not the guy I know.

But they're not going to get people up in front of the church or at the forest lawn and say bad things about the guy and tell him how much of a dirty scoundrel he was. No, they're going to praise him over and over again. The psalmist says, I've been to many burials, many funerals. And I've seen the wicked praised. This too is futility. Because a sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. In other words, because we don't execute judgment quickly when someone sins, they continue to do evil.

If we were to execute judgment upon murderers and thieves and rapists quickly, they'd be less prone to continue in sin. Others would as well. But because we don't, they just keep on sinning. So he says this, first of all, although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know.

Now notice he says, I've seen the wicked. But one thing I do know, I do know, he says, is that it will be well for those who fear God. That's just a great phrase. You want to live life well? You want to live a good life? You want to live a healthy life? It comes because you fear God. This is not the first time Solomon said this.

Over in chapter three, verse number four, he said it this way. I'm sorry. Chapter three, verse number 14. He said, I know that everything God does will remain forever. There is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it for God has so worked that men should fear him. God does what he does for one reason. Man needs to fear him because if you fear him, it will be well with you. Notice, he says over in chapter five, for in many ways, verse number seven, dreams and in many words, there is emptiness, rather fear God.

Chapter seven, verse number 18, the one who fears God comes forth with great wisdom and balance in life. Then here in chapter eight and in chapter 12, the end of every man simply is to fear God and keep his commandments. But he says this, he says, it will be well for those who fear God, who fear him openly, who fear him without reservation, who live in the fear of God all day long. You wanna find joy every day and live joyously? It begins when you understand your ultimate duty. And that's to fear God.

You don't fear God, you're not gonna have a well life. You're gonna have a horrible life. You're gonna end up fearing man more than fearing God and that's always a problem. Fearing your boss or fearing someone else that might intimidate you but when you fear God, you fear no man. And then it will be well with you. In fact, I love the scriptures that say this, the fear of the Lord prolongs life but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. The fear of the Lord prolongs life. Did you know that? But the years of the wicked, they'll be shortened.

Listen to this, Proverbs 14, 26, in the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence. There's nothing that promotes confidence more than the fear of the Lord. In the fear of the Lord, there's confidence. That's a well life. It's a joyous life and His children will have refuge. You ever think about that? In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence. Fearing God promotes strength, promotes strong confidence but fearing the Lord also protects your children. Think about it. Remember Amram and Jochebed?

They had Miriam, Aaron and Moses. The Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews they did not fear the king's edict. They were to kill their child but they feared the Lord. They didn't fear the king. They spared the child, protected the child and God protected them. They had strong confidence because they only feared the Lord. They didn't fear the king and God protected their children. Miriam became Israel's great prophetess. Aaron became Israel's first priest and Moses, the greatest leader Israel ever had.

And then Moses would grow up. The book of Hebrews tells us that he didn't fear the king's edict either. Why? Because fearing God passes down from generation to generation. That's why. As parents, you want your children to be strong and have confidence? Fear the Lord. Because you're going to pass that down to them. They're going to pick it up from you. You go on in Psalm 115. It says, You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. He will bless those who fear the Lord, small together with the great.

He is the God who preserves man's way. He provides for all of our needs. Proverbs 33 verse number 18. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. That's what God does. It will be well with you. Psalm 34. See that? Those who fear the Lord, there is no want. They're not wanting for another marriage. They're not wanting for another relationship. They're not wanting for another job. They're not wanting for another state.

They're not wanting for more money. Why? Because they fear the Lord. They're satisfied. They've embraced their king. They've embraced their God. And they live in the fear of the Lord all day long. So Solomon comes along and says, Hey, listen.

I've been to funerals and I've seen the wicked praised. It's futility. It means nothing. But you know what? You fear the Lord. I know this. It will be well with you. That's where joy begins. It begins fearing God. That's our ultimate duty in life. That's our main priority in life is to fear God, keep His commandments, live for the glory and honor of God. It says in Psalm 147, He does not delight in the strength of a horse. He does not take pleasure in the legs of man. The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness.

God favors those who fear Him. It will be well with you if you fear God. Psalm 25. Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way that he should choose. The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him. And He will make them know His covenant. God will let you know the secrets of the Lord when you fear Him. The Bible says in Psalm 128, How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.

When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you will be happy. It will be well with you. You'll be happy. It will be well with you. Why? Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house. Your children like autumn plants around your table. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. That's the bottom line. That's just the basics of a joyous life. If you don't fear the Lord, you'll have no joy. Because you're always looking for something to fill the void in your life. Change in circumstances, a change in situations, a change in your marriage, a change in your job, a change, a change, a change.

You know what Solomon says in the book of Proverbs? Do not associate with people given to change. Such wise words. Don't associate with people given to change. People can't make up their minds. Always trying to search after this, or seek after that, or go here, or go there. Why? Because they are unstable people. They have no strength. Psalm 112 says, It's how blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on the earth. Miriam, Aaron, Moses.

His parents feared the Lord. Their descendants? Mighty on the earth. The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their house. His righteousness is endures forever. Verse 6, He will never be shaken. The righteous will be remembered forever. He will not fear evil tidings. His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is upheld. He will not fear. He has strength. He has security. He has stability. Why? Because he fears the Lord. Will you live each day joyously? Wisdom's jubilation simply says that what you need to do is remember your ultimate duty, and that's to fear God.

That's it. That's where it begins. It's not rocket science. There's no magic formula. It's just simply this. And so now Solomon moves on. And he says this. This is so good. He says in verse number 14, oh, by the way, he says in verse number 13, but it will not be well for the evil man, and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow because he does not fear God. In other words, if you don't fear God, it's not going to be good for you. Your life is like a shadow. It has no substance. You've seen shadows, right?

You know what your shadow looks like. Sometimes you're walking out and the sun's shining down. You look at your shadow.

You're like, oh, my goodness. I didn't know I looked like that. But the shadow has no substance. It comes and goes. The man who doesn't fear God has no substance. It will not be well with him. So it goes on to say in verse number 14, there is futility which is done on the earth. That is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. So he says, I commend joy, pleasure.

For there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be joyous. And this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun. Principle number two, realize your urgent responsibility to thank God for what he's given you.

This is so important. I've seen the righteous receive that of the wicked, and I've seen the wicked receive that of the righteous. It's futility. But I want to commend joy to you. I want you to live a life of pleasure. I want you to eat, I want you to drink, and I want you to be joyous. I want you to look at the most mundane things in life and realize that God has given them to you.

You want to live a life filled with joy, you've got to recognize that all you have is given to you by God. Your wife, she's a gift to you from God. Your husband, same thing. Your children, they're gifts to you. Your job, it's a gift. Your ministry, it's a gift. I'm doing my study in John's Gospel because that will be the next book that we will study together. And it's so interesting to note what John the Baptist says. This is so good. In John chapter three, he's talking to his men because they're a little jealous that Jesus has a lot more followers than John has.

And they're like, man, you were on the scene first. They should be following you. But no, man, they're following Jesus. What is going on here? And of course, John, he's just as calm as a cucumber. That's the way he says. This is so good. He says, a man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. No wonder Jesus said he was the greatest man ever born of a woman. He recognized that his ministry was given to him from heaven. He was the forerunner of the Messiah because God gave him that.

God gave him his ministry. And joy comes when you realize that you thank God for everything that you have because he gave it to you. And this is not the first time that Solomon says this.

He says God has given him everything under the sun. If you go back to, in fact, over in chapter 9, verse number 7, he says these words. Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart for God has already approved your works. Let your clothes be white all the time and let no oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which he has given to you under the sun. In other words, you've got to realize that God gave you your wife.

God gave you your job. God gave you everything. You begin to live life joylessly when you understand that all you have was given to you by God himself. As you recall, back in chapter 5, he said this, verse 18. Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself and all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him. God gave you your life for this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and to rejoice in his labor.

Remember, this is the gift of God. Solomon recognized that your riches, your wealth, your food, it's all a gift from God. You can begin to live each day joyously when you realize when you open your eyes in the morning, you slept in a bed given to you by God. Right? And when you wake up, you make your coffee given to you by God. In a cup, given to you by God. What a joyous day this is going to be. And you get in a car, it's been given to you by God. You fill it with gas, given to you by God. And you begin to drive to the place of employment, given to you by God.

Right? And all the people you work with, given to you by God. Right? Talk about living a joyous life and this is a great day. Why? Because everything that I have, Paul says in 1 Corinthians, what do you have that you did not receive from the Lord? Answer, nothing. It's all been given to you by the Lord. And when you have that perspective that everything that you have, you see is from the Lord, you've seen, you've observed life beyond the sun. Now you can operate in life under the sun with stability and tranquility.

Why? Because you recognize that all you have is from the Lord. Your education, from the Lord. Everything. Your home, from the Lord. Everything you have is from the Lord. Over in Romans 11, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory. Everything is given to you by God. 1 Chronicles 29 and 12, both riches and honor come from you and you reign over all. In your hand is power and might. In your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. You have strength? It's from the Lord.

Later in verse 14 of chapter 29 of 1 Chronicles, for all things come from you and of your own we have given you. David says, what we're giving to you is yours anyway. Think about that. When you come to church on Sunday and you give to the Lord, you're giving Him His money. You're not giving Him your money because you received it from the Lord. You're giving Him His money. It puts a whole different view on your money. We want to hold onto our money. My dad used to always say, if money was meant to be held onto, God would have put handles on your money.

There's no handle on your coin. There's no handle on your $20 bill. There's no handle on your $100 bill. Why? Because it wasn't meant to be held onto. Why? It's not yours. It's His. David recognized that. That's why God blessed him so much. He was given back to God that which was already His to begin with. See, this is living a joyous life every single day. This is wisdom's jubilation. It's understanding that I live life in the fear of God and I thank God for everything that He gives me because without Him, I have nothing.

Nothing. Then the third principle. Gotta hurry. Sorry. He says this. Verse 16. When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth, even though one should never sleep day or night, he had insomnia, he couldn't sleep, and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover, and though the wise man should say, I know he cannot discover. Listen.

Listen. This is how you live joyously every single day. You recognize the utter impossibility of figuring God out. That's it. You recognize the utter impossibility of figuring God out. You're never gonna figure Him out. Stop trying. In wisdom, I sought to discover. I did not discover. I labored diligently, found out I couldn't understand it. I even had insomnia. I couldn't sleep, but you know what? I couldn't come to grips because God is infinite. One of the reasons we have a hard time living each day joyously is because we just wanna control everything around us.

We wanna control our kids. We wanna control our wife. Control our husband. Control our workspace. Control our health. And when we're out of control, we are crazy, right? God's in charge of everything. He controls it all. You're never going to figure it out. I love what Jehoshaphat said in 2 Chronicles 20, verse number 12. They were surrounded by the enemy. He says, Lord, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. Can't figure this out. We have no idea. Don't know if you go here, go there, fight here, fight there.

Lord, we don't understand. Our eyes are upon you. Habakkuk. You think he understood all that God was gonna do? He was perplexed and puzzled so much. He said just to wait quietly and rest in what God was going to do. And then rejoice. And then be able to experience the raising of God as you relied upon him every day for everything, that God would raise him up even though everything around him was crumbling and falling down. That's why I love Romans 11. That whole thing about, you know, you get to Romans 9, and Romans 9 is all about God's sovereignty and salvation.

You come to Romans 10, it's all about man's responsibility and salvation. And then as you go further in chapter 10, it's all about gospel duty and salvation because how will they hear without a preacher? And then you come to Romans 11, he says this. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable are his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who became his counselor? Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again?

You think you're gonna find out the mind of God when it comes to salvation? And the salvation of the Jews? And the sovereignty of God and human responsibility? You think you're gonna figure that out? Think again. You're not. Unfathomable his ways. Unsearchable his riches. They're beyond human comprehension. You know, you just need to be able to rest in the fact that you're not in control and God is. You're not gonna discover him or find him out because everything he does, he does simply because that's according to his good pleasure.

You need to trust him in the midst of it. And Solomon says, listen. You wanna live each day joyously? You have one duty. That's to fear God. Fear God. That's it. You have one responsibility. You thank God because all you have is from him. And you have this utter impossibility. Stop trying to figure him out. You can't. You never will the sight of eternity. You'll try. You'll get frustrated. Just rest in his sovereign providence. Trust him. I was writing some things down the other day and I realized that Psalm 145 says that his greatness is inscrutable.

So you'll never find out his greatness. 2 Corinthians 9.15 his gift is indescribable. So stop trying to describe it. It says in Ephesians 2 verse number 7 his grace is immeasurable. So quit trying to figure out how to weigh it. In Lamentations 3 his mercy is inexhaustible. And then in John 14 his peace is inexpressible. So quit trying to express it. Job 42 his plans are incomprehensible. Can't figure him out. Romans 8 his love is impenetrable. And then Isaiah 6 his holiness is incorruptible. In Ephesians chapter 1 his power is incomparable.

All that to say is that you've got to rest in that. Just believe what the Bible says. Rest in his sovereign grace. Praise him for what he's done. And you'll begin to live each day joyously. Just, you can't control tomorrow. You don't know what's going to happen next week. God does. Just fear him. Thank him. And then realize you're not going to figure out all that he's going to do. But just let him do it. In the meantime you'll live each day joyously. Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for tonight.

The opportunity you give us. Lord, your word is great. We thank you that you instruct us in the way that we should go. Lord, help us to live a life pleasing to you. Life filled with joy. Simply because we live in the fear of God and, Solomon said, it's well with that man. So well, so good. So, so great. And to thank you. You've given us everything we have. All that we have God has given to us. So we realize, Lord, that all we have is from above. And Lord, forgive us for trying to comprehend the incomprehensible.

We can't. Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has given you counsel? No one. No one ever will. Because you are the infinite God of the universe who rules majestically over your creation. Help us just to trust in you. In Jesus' name. Amen.