31 DAYS TO HAPPINESS PART 2 (DAVID JEREMIAH)

DAY 17: THE JOY OF MISERY
(Ecclesiastes 7:1-4)
1. Solomon teaches us the lessons most teachers would avoid. The key word in Ecclesiastes 7:1–10 is better. It was also the key word in your test. The Lord shows us that some of the medicine that tastes the worst has the best cure. In these verses, Solomon is going to goad us into thinking outside the box. The first thing he tells us is that sorrow is better than laughter. No kidding—literally.
2. Solomon liked to have a good laugh, just like you and I do. So what’s all this about preferring funerals? Warren Wiersbe has said that laughter is medicine for a broken heart, but sorrow is a hearty meal for the soul.
3. Solomon might agree that this life is a quick dash between birth and death—just a vapor. All we will ever do on earth, all the influence we will ever garner, all the reputation we will ever build is summarized in a simple line between one year and another. It is not much time to serve God but plenty of time for making a huge mess of things. Solomon was suggesting that if you die with a good name, you can no longer do anything to tarnish it. But on the day of your birth, you have an entire life before you yet unwritten. In that respect, if you have a good reputation, the day of your death is better than the day of your birth.

Looking back on a life well lived is better than looking forward to a life unlived. Ending a good life is better than beginning  an unknown life.

"Better to go to the house of mourning

Than to go to the house of feasting,

For that is the end of all men;

And the living will take it to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter,

For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth" (Ecclesiastes 7:2–4).

4. Solomon does not want you to spend daily time thinking about your death. What he wants you to see is that wisdom is forged in the fires of mourning, trouble, and disappointment. Fools with frivolous, carefree attitudes do not learn from the experiences of life. When wise men and women face adversity, such as death, disease, and destruction, they learn fresh lessons from God, they take the lessons to heart, and they become better instead of bitter. It is a choice.

God desires to lovingly use every inconvenience, every bad day, every trial, to make us stronger and wiser and closer to Him.

5. We are beginning to see the light. The highest purpose of life is not happiness. We begin to realize that, when we reach that final destination, then we will be paid richly in the coin of happiness. We will realize that, until now, we never knew what happiness was—and never could have enjoyed it so richly now without the sorrow that was preparing our hearts all along the path.

DAY 18: THE PLEASURE OF REBUKE

(Ecclesiastes 7:5-6)

1. Nobody loves a critic. But let’s get beyond the feel-good factor. Life is not always about feeling good. That second fellow has given me food for thought. It may not taste like ice cream, but it is probably good for me. And later on, after my bruised ego recovers, I’ll find that advice not only humbling but helpful.

Rebukes are really compliments turned inside out, designed to mold and mature us in wonderful ways.

“In pain I learned one of the most important lessons I ever needed to learn” (Gordon MacDonald).

2. Receiving rebuke and correction is a major theme in the writings of Solomon, especially in Proverbs, no doubt because it goes against human nature. Left to our own devices, we are not very teachable. It often takes us the awkward struggle of the teenage years to learn how to handle criticism—and some of us never do, even then.

The rebuke of a wise man, however, can change your life forever. 

3. Have you made it known to people who care about you that they are free to share a word of advice, correction, or even rebuke with you when necessary? Just be humble. Be open. And at the right time, tell your spouse, coworker, or friend that his or her feedback is valuable to you. Make it known that you are always interested in getting better at what you do, whether it is  marriage, parenting, vocation, or hobby. The moment you open that particular door, a number of wonderful things will come through. For example:

• You’ll receive invaluable advice that God gives us through others.

• You’ll improve your relationship with the person whose advice you’ve invited.

• You’ll combat pride and enhance humility.

Don’t be enamored with the praise of people who don’t really care about you. Be more interested in the rebuke of a wise person who really loves you. Listen carefully to that person’s instruction.

4. Test yourself for pride:

~ The Test of Procedure: How do we react when another is selected for an assignment we expected, or the office we coveted?When another is promoted and we are overlooked? When another outshines us in gifts and accomplishments?

~ The Test of Sincerity: In our moments of honest self-criticism, we will say many things about ourselves and really mean them. But how do we feel when others, especially our rivals, say exactly the same things about us?

~ The Test of Criticism: Does criticism arouse hostility and resentment in our hearts, and cause us to fly into immediate  self-justification?

5. Surround yourself with good people who will help you, advise you, guide you, and hold you accountable. Your life will be like a river fed by many streams. Such a river grows broader and stronger, pounding its way through rugged territory, rushing along joyfully on its way to the vast sea.

“In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery” (Proverbs 28:23 TLB).

DAY 19: THE HARD WAY MADE EASY 

(Ecclesiastes 7:7-9)

1. Have you ever taken a “shortcut” and discovered it took twice as long to get somewhere? The message of Ecclesiastes 7:7–9 is that the hard way is better than the easy way. We get what we pay for, and we reap what we sow. Isn’t that what we tell our kids? Study hard. Practice, practice, practice. Work, work, work. Keep at it. Don’t give up. Don’t take the easy way out. There aren’t any shortcuts to success. That is the constant refrain of parents, coaches, and teachers.

2. Solomon says the hard way is, in the end, the happy way. He says that it is better to make the right decision now and to be patient in spirit than to be proud. God’s way may be the hard way, but it is always the high road, and if we will simply wait on Him it will lead us to higher places in life.

The hard way will always be tough; there are no shortcuts. But it’s made just a bit easier when we stop to remember that God never  fails, that all His endings are happy ones, and that every bruise leads to deeper blessings.

3. When you have to make an important decision, take a quiet walk or shut yourself in your room and pray over some questions: Where will this lead me? What will be the result of this action? What are the possible outcomes of this particular deed? Try to determine the end from the beginning. In the process, remember that God saves His best for last, whereas Satan points out the shortcut.

Life on the King’s highway is different. As His plan for us unfolds, it becomes richer and better; we grow happier and holier as time goes by. “The path of the just,” wrote Solomon in Proverbs 4:18, “is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day”.

4. Our destination is true happiness, but to get there we will have to walk through some difficult terrain. The clouds will often cover us. The darkness will often cause us to stumble and despair of ever rising. But when the clouds break through, there is joy in the morning. The hard way is the only way, for it makes that joy even sweeter.

DAY 20: TIME TO MOVE ON

(Ecclesiastes 7:10)

1. The good old days is a state of mind that has no coordinates in the real world. Today is always just short of yesterday’s glory, just shy of tomorrow’s promise. But today is all we have. It holds all the stakes. Today is the only day we can directly affect, and all our hopes of a better life lie right there in the calendar box where you stand—the day marked today.

2. The issue in life is not your times, your trade, or your take-home pay. It is all about the question, what are you doing with today? Are you electrically charged with the prospect of all that God can do with your life in this window called Today? After all, we can do all things through Christ, and He promised we would do miracles greater than His (John 14:12). Those are not verses about the good old days or the world of the future—those are Today words.

3. The ultimate reality in life is God, who wants to fill your life with His presence and power right here and right now. Happiness has nothing of the past mixed in it or of what lies ahead. The heaven awaiting us, when we come face to face with our Savior, will be an eternal Now, and it stands to reason that the way to bring that heaven to earth is to live in this Now completely and consistently.

4. Three things we know:

• First, I know that “the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Romans 8:22). But this is all unnatural, not the way God designed it. So I do not become discouraged or deceived by something that I know is temporary. I cling to the image of heaven on earth, that which I know is eternal.

• Second, I do not know what I should pray for as I ought, but “the Spirit Himself makes intercession for [me] with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). This means that I am not alone in the battle. 

• And third, I know that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). As one of those who love Him, I can latch onto the prospect that every single event is part of an equation with a positive solution. There is power, incredible power, in grasping that paradigm.

5. I encourage you to embrace sorrow when it comes, a rebuke when you feel its sting, the hard way when it is the right way, and especially the power of Today—carpe diem! Seize the day He has given you. This is the day He made, so rejoice and be glad in it. Heaven is at hand, not in the rearview mirror nor in the unknown future. It is within your grasp. Take hold, take counsel, and take advantage!

DAY 21: THE PERSPECTIVE OF WISDOM 

(Ecclesiastes 7:11-18)

1. Life is a paradox, and we are not always sure which end is up. The movie character Forrest Gump says life is like a box of chocolates because you never know what you will get; Solomon would add that even after you take a bite, you can’t be certain how it is going to digest. We have to rely on our Lord, who knows the end from the beginning. His values are often different, and that’s the underlying theme of Ecclesiastes 7.

Wisdom may not solve all our problems or smooth out all the bumps in the road, but it gives the mind the right information for controlling the emotions.

2. Perspective is seeing things in their true size and significance, in their proper relationship to each other. God’s wisdom allows us to take the long view and to see how all roads lead back to Him in the end. Wisdom gives us depth, relationship, meaning—the long view of things. There are three ways wisdom increases our perspective on the events of life:

• Wisdom to deal with prosperity

“For whoever finds [wisdom] finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord” (8:35). Rich people who lack wisdom end up miserable; their wealth becomes a curse instead of a blessing. Wisdom gives perspective to prosperity. Wisdom keeps wealth in perspective.

• Wisdom to deal with providence

As we have seen, providence is God’s supervision of all creation, ensuring that all His plans work out. It means that things will come to pass in our lives that only He understands. So you might not understand why God didn’t allow you to start your own business or marry that specific person, but He has His reasons. And they are always reasons we would heartily approve if we were only wise enough.

• Wisdom to deal with the puzzles of life

In the puzzles of life we are often able to work out the borders of things—the places where life is straight, where its corners meet neatly. But to solve the big picture, we need wisdom, persistence, and perhaps the help of loved ones.

God balances our lives by giving us enough blessings to keep us happy and enough burdens to keep us humble. If all we had were blessings in our hands, we would fall right over, so the Lord balances the blessings in our hands with burdens on our backs. That helps keep us steady, and as we yield to Him, we can even turn burdens into blessings (Warren Wiersby).

Blessings in the hand plus burdens on the back equals balance in the spiritual life—a formula for contentment and maturity.

3. The puzzles of life:

~ The puzzle of reversed rewards

God is both loving and powerful, but He allows the rewards to be reversed—success for the evil, suffering for the good—for reasons relating to His eternal plan, and because it is the consequence of a fallen world in which we ourselves have invited such chaos. And remember that we see only a fragment of life at a time, but God sees the whole.

~ The puzzle of righteous rhetoric

The fact is that self-righteousness is not good for the self, and it is not righteous. It arises from sin, and it is the central reigning sin. The perspective of God’s wisdom helps us see a better road and a more blessed destination.

DAY 22: THE POWER OF WISDOM

(Ecclesiastes 7:19-29)

1. One word for wisdom in Hebrew is hokmah. It occurs more than three hundred times in the Old Testament. While hokmah (and its derivatives) are usually translated “to be wise,” “wise,” or “wisdom,” the root meaning of the word is “skill”—skill of all sorts. The skillful are those who bring order out of chaos, who take raw materials and turn them into something useful or beautiful, and who have the ability to navigate chaotic situations such as storms at sea or to turn a chaotic situation to one’s advantage.

2. Perspective on life is good. But power makes life a lot more exciting. Wisdom can help in understanding prosperity, providence, and puzzles in life, but it does not promise to provide perspective on everything. Nor does perspective exist alone. Perspective and power are like the two wings on a bird, the two blades of a pair of scissors, or the two sides of a coin. The whole of wisdom does not exist without both perspective and power.

3. Solomon notes four different areas of life in which wisdom can provide power:

• Wisdom to deal with the problems we encounter

“Wisdom,” wrote Solomon, “strengthens the wise.” Wisdom leads to strength and mastery. When we have aligned ourselves with the right Lord, we become more courageous. 

• Wisdom to deal with the people we employ

Psychologists tell us that one’s “emotional quotient” (EQ) is more critical to life success than one’s “intelligence quotient” (IQ). It is only by wisdom that employers can effectively manage those who work for them.

• Wisdom to deal with the perplexities we experience

You have learned already in these pages that God’s plan is good and His purpose is clear, but His program is mysterious. Wisdom gives us the power to live our lives in the realm of the first two and leave the third to God. There is power in not being a slave to knowing why everything in life happens as it does, a power that comes from freedom.

• Wisdom to deal with the pitfalls we escape

Wisdom can give us the power to steer clear of illicit relationships. An affair is not real—it is only an illusion of real love. It’s a sham—a pitiful misrepresentation of what God designed marriage to be. In this illusion, lovers can only imitate marital intimacy, because the beauty of the commitment of one man to one woman is lost. 

4. That wisdom from above, as James tells us in the New Testament, is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). In other words, wisdom flows from a rich, daily walk with God. It is like a cool stream emerging from the heights of a mountain, plunging delightfully to earth, where people come from many villages to enjoy its richness and beauty. As a wise believer, you will have that same effect on people.

5. “In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). When you are facing difficult issues and you don’t know what to do, remember that you know Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God. The particulars of your daily decision may not be found in God’s Word, but Christ will always be found abiding there. And He will give you what you need through His Holy Spirit, who brings God’s Word and our hearts together.

DAY 23: HARD TO BE HUMBLE

(Ecclesiastes 8:1-17)

1. The mountaintop is our destination, but it is on the downward slopes that life takes its measure of us. Humility puts us in our proper place; it strips away the coat of pride that collects on our surface as we travel through life’s more successful moments.

2. The eighth chapter of Ecclesiastes defines humility in five ways: 

• Knowing how much you don’t know

Solomon speaks to the way true wisdom affects a man. A man who is truly wise is changed by the wisdom of God; even his countenance reflects his humility. He knows how much he doesn’t know because he knows whom he does know. He has access to God’s wisdom, and that is enough.

• Living with what you don’t like

Humility is knowing when to submit and obey, even in circumstances where you lack understanding. At what point do we quit the job or leave the church? It is hard to know; we feel humbled, and we move closer to God for guidance. There is much we cannot change and must simply trust to Him.

• Accepting what you can’t change 

Impotent anger fills us when others control our lives. But in situations we cannot change, the only healthy response is humility.  Though it may sound trite or ineffectual, we must leave it all to God, knowing He will care for us.

Solomon suggests four categories we cannot control:

~ Death

We can and should care for our bodies, but there is nothing we can do to be in total control. For Christians, of course, that’s not such a bad thing after all, for to die is gain; it is better by far (Philippians 1:21, 23).

~Distress

That is a good rule for all of life. We must trust God with what we cannot control. That includes those who want to hurt or distress us—along with all the other unavoidable, unalterable troubles of life.

"We mothers must take care of the possible and trust God for the impossible. We are to love, affirm, encourage, teach, listen, and  care for the physical needs of the family. We cannot convict of sin, create hunger and thirst after God, or convert. These are miracles, and miracles are not in our department" (Ruth Bell Graham, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them).

~ Deception

God has a perfect plan, and if people get more praise than they deserve, let them, for it is little enough reward in the big picture, and they still have to stand before God. If you see someone receiving too little praise, take the initiative and call a celebration. But know that this one, too, will stand before God and receive his or her crown of glory.

~ Defiance

When we don’t see God sending the lightning rod upon the neighborhood hedonist, we assume He is asleep at the wheel. He is not. There will be a reckoning for all who have strayed between the cradle and the crypt.

• Enjoying what you can’t explain

This life is difficult but abundant. Goodness and mercy will follow us all our days, but often we will be walking through the valley of the shadow of death when they follow us. The secret of life, the power of finding happiness, is embracing heaven while accepting earth. 

• Discovering what you can’t discover

God did not forget to tell us anything important. There are things too great for our comprehension and others too dangerous for our grasp. But we will only ever know what God permits us to know. As the guardian of all knowledge, He holds every secret. Our response is to bow in humility, then to look up toward the peak of the mountain and get on with the journey. 

"If there were no obscurity man would not feel his corruption; if there were no light man could not hope for a cure. Thus it is  not only right but useful for us that God should be partly concealed and partly revealed, since it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness as to know his wretchedness without knowing God" (Blaise Pascal, Pensées).

DAY 24: DROPPING THE "D" WORD

(Ecclesiastes 9:1-10)

1. Death is one of those subjects we do not like to discuss. That is why it is the subject of so many euphemisms. Instead of using  the word dead, we say, “passed away,” “gone to a better place,” “sleeping in Jesus,” “returned home,” or “went to be with the Lord.” At least, we use those terms around the sanctuary and the funeral home. Whether we lean to the reverent right or the flippant left, we shy away from speaking directly of the ultimate enemy.

Every human being lives out a death sentence—the important matter is what we do with the lives out part of that phrase.

2. Even the righteous and the wicked, Solomon tells us, are cemetery neighbors. Many things set them apart and determine their eternal standing—but in the end, they all die. As Hebrews 9:27 puts it, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment“.

"A funeral is one event where one can no longer escape ultimate reality. A funeral is proof that we are not in control of our own  lives. . . . This is what makes people uncomfortable and anxious to get back to the comfortable illusions of life" (Ray Stedman).

3. Unbelievers live sad half-lives. In a sense, they are already dead. There is no reward, no motivation, no future, no genuine love or even hate. When the end comes, they finish their time under the sun and face only a darkness. Believers, however, can live now in the fullest sense. We can do good things, enjoy life, and embrace hope under the sun.

4. Hope is only valid when it is reality based—and our hope is based on the ultimate reality. We are citizens of heaven, ambassadors from a better country whose joys make the pale pleasures of earth look sad indeed. We can, therefore, keep heaven on earth—in our hearts.

5. Solomon does not say, “Eat, drink, and be merry for we’re going to die”. But he does give some advice for life:

• Eat every meal as if at a banquet

Food is strength, and while we have the strength to live on this earth, we celebrate the gardens and pastures and rivers, seas, and skies all filled with good things to eat, furnished by our Lord for our enjoyment.

• Celebrate every day as if at a party

That is a great reason to let every waking moment be a celebration of God’s gift of life. Get dressed. Eat out with a friend. Why? You can! And God enjoys your enjoyment.

• Enjoy marriage as if on your honeymoon

Your husband or wife should be looked upon as a treasure from heaven, prepared for your joy, to serve and to be served. Why not let each day be as joyful as your honeymoon? Marital fulfillment is a choice, so choose to live and love joyfully.

• Work as if it were your final workday

“Thank You, Lord! Another day to use the gifts and the strength and the mind You have given me—to apply them to fruitful enterprise. What a gift You have given me, that I may work and serve.” That mindset will add years to your life and life to your years. It will also bring you success, promotions, and glory for God.

Why worry about the span of your life? I would rather be like Solomon and stay busy with the joy of my heart. Once again, this is heaven on earth, paradise in our hands, delivery from dread and drudgery—for this is the day the Lord has made, and we can rejoice and be glad in it.

DAY 25: LIFE CHEATS! 

(Ecclesiastes 9:11-18)

Life is unfair. Being the best is not the same as winning the contest.

1. As C. S. Lewis points out in Mere Christianity, every human being appeals to a common law of fair play: “That’s my seat—I was there first,” or “Give me a bite of that orange; I gave you a bite of mine”. Fairness is a kind of natural instinct we carry inside. Lewis shows that no one ever questions that standard of basic fairness; it seems to be implanted within us at birth.

As Solomon has already told us, we have eternity stamped upon our hearts. We are made for heaven, where life is fair; but we must settle for earth, where life deals from the bottom of the deck.

2. Solomon gives us every reason under the sun to be gloomy. He tells us that death always wins, and life always cheats. He tells us that the best effort we can put forth guarantees exactly nothing. Then, as always, he tells us to be joyful.

Life is unfair, and death is unstoppable, but we have what we have, and it happens to be this day before us— a gift from God, filled with pleasures, beauty, the satisfying enterprise of work, and the precious presence of God overseeing it all.

3. Life is unfair, and people have short memories. The people who do the most heavy lifting on church committees get the least credit. We say we have no heroes, but we have a million unsung ones like the little man in the town. In the end we do not value wisdom very highly. We do not appreciate the people who deserve the credit. We all have experienced this painful truth.

So what is the solution? What are we supposed to do, given the unfairness of life? The secret is to remember that this life is just a preparation for the real life that is to come. We are foolish if we think we will ever find heaven on earth.

4. The unfairness of this world, along with death itself, will be swallowed up in the great victory of Jesus Christ over death and this world (1 Corinthians 15:54). And when we know that, when we claim the victory that we cannot see with our eyes but can feel with our hearts, then we can do something remarkable and unexpected and wonderful—something therefore miraculous. We can create those heaven-on-earth moments that occur when, against all odds, people let themselves become channels for the searing, white-hot grace and love of God in a world cold and darkened by evil. In those grace moments we reveal our true birthright as creatures of another world, a world where life is infinitely better than simply “fair”.

Death always wins; life plays unfairly; love conquers all.

5. When God’s heartbreaking goodness intersects with human barbarity, the lights of heaven break through the trees. For just a moment, the intense darkness flees in the presence of that eternal light. All the unfairness and injustice is momentarily forgotten in the face of the obvious truth that our God is near, He is in control, and He will make all things right.

DAY 26: FOOLISHNESS IN LITTLE THINGS

(Ecclesiastes 10:1-3)

1. Solomon knows there is more than a dividing line between wisdom and folly—there is a canyon. He warns us to stay away from the edge. He seeks to provide us with mile markers and signposts that help us stay on the safe side of life. Ecclesiastes 10, like a lost chapter of Proverbs, dispenses short nuggets of wisdom to keep us on the wise side. He warns us about foolishness in four prominent areas of life: in little things, in leadership, in labor, in language.

2. They say the devil is in the details, and that can be very true. On the big days and big events of life, we are more likely to be on our guard. It is the details that trip us up. We witness the downfall of this politician or that well-known Christian and wonder how such a little thing, something so avoidable, brought down a big man.

3. Obedience in little things implies that we are standing in a place of wisdom and power. When we keep slipping up in little things, it indicates we are standing in a place of foolishness, and our power and influence are diluted.

4. Every detail of life sets in motion a chain of events we cannot predict. We have talked about that desert sojourn, when Jesus prepared for the ministry upon which all of human history would turn. The devil’s very first suggestion involved no more than a crust of bread. Jesus was hungry; He was fasting so that His spiritual perception and unity with the Father would be fully optimized. “If You are the Son of God, why not just command these stones to become bread?” the devil asked. Why not indeed? It was no big deal, just a little thing. Here is how “little”:

For want of abstaining from a crust of bread, a fast would be lost.

For want of a fast, a prayer would be lost.

For want of a prayer, a vision would be lost.

For want of a vision, a mission would be lost.

For want of a mission, a sacrifice would be lost.

For want of a sacrifice, an eternal kingdom would be lost.

5. Another new day faces you. Ask God, through the loving grace and overcoming power of His Holy Spirit, to afford you the wisdom to choose light at every turn. I believe that as you connect the dots of wise choices, a great haze will drop away from your vision. A dark cloud may have followed you for so long that you have ceased to be aware of it. But as you make wise choices, live the godly way, and keep the vision of Christ before you, the light will begin to disperse the darkness. You will see the very image of heaven on earth. And that sight, my friend, is not a little thing.

"A holy life is made up of a multitude of small things. It is the little things of the hour, and not the great things of the age, that fill up a life like that of [the apostles] Paul or John, like that of . . . [David] Brainerd, or [Henry] Martyn. Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons, little deeds, not miracles, nor battles, nor one great heroic act or mighty martyrdom, make up the true Christian life" (Horatius Bonar).

DAY 27: FOOLISHNESS IN LEADERSHIP

(Ecclesiastes 10:4-7, 16-19)

1. In tough times we look to our leaders. Families, churches, businesses, cities, states, and nations all need strong leadership, or the future will be bleak for those who follow. Just look at the sons and successors of Solomon, the kings who followed in his wake on the throne of Judah. The books of 1 and 2 Kings are studies in wise and foolish leadership. When the king was a morally upright man and a wise manager, the nation prospered. When the king was careless, heartless, ruthless, and godless, the entire nation slid toward abysmal ruin.

2. 4 types of foolishness leadership:

• Ego-driven leaders

Solomon says, “If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; for conciliation pacifies great offenses”. When we see a boss or a leader of any kind abuse power, our first impulse is to just walk away. At least, it is a better strategy than staying and doing something foolish. But Solomon says there is a better way still. Do not panic, do not quit your job, and do not leave your post. Do not overreact to an overreaction. Just hang in there, and deal with the person.

• Easygoing leaders

Easygoing leaders put unqualified people in office while ignoring those who should be serving under them.

• The engineered leaders

Solomon speaks of inexperienced leaders who acquire office by the help of family and friends. Their leadership is orchestrated, arranged, or negotiated. They often haven’t a clue as to what they are doing; consequently, they do little at all.

• The evil leaders

Solomon offers no excuses for such a person. He is just an evil man who cares nothing about his responsibilities. Through his laziness, his leadership is dissipated, and his kingdom is destroyed.

Follow the Scripture. Try underreacting. Remember that a soft answer turns away wrath. We are often surprised at what happens when we try that.

3. In what field of life are you a leader? In the home? At work? In a Sunday school class? If you are wise, you will realize that you never stand alone before God; with you stand the souls of those you lead. Your stewardship of these souls is an issue with eternal consequences—a heaven-on-earth issue. Remember that a good leader walks ahead of his people, to point the way; beside his people, to share in their jour-ney; and behind his people, to protect them and cover their mistakes. In other words, he leads in the same way Christ leads us. So as Christ covers us, and we cover those we lead, we make our way forward in wisdom and eagerness for all that God has in store.

DAY 28: LABOR, LANGUAGE, AND LUNACY

(Ecclesiastes 10:8-15, 20)

1. Not too long ago the book Working Smart by Michael Leboeuf was all the rage in management circles. The author demonstrated that the key to better production is not longer hours but more effective ones. And we all know the truth of that proposition. There is no substitute for putting in the time, but it does not mean much if you are not working as wisely as possible. It pays to work smart.

2. When you are using your hands, use your head. The best power tool you have is the one whirring away between your ears. We need to learn to use that wonderful thing called common sense, although it seems more and more uncommon to find people with good sense. Work in wisdom.

3. If there is one place where we can spot foolishness, it is in the way people use their tongues. Solomon shows us five ways misuse of the tongue reveals a foolish heart:

• The untamed tongue

In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon says there is a time to speak and a time to be silent. Babblers forget the latter part of that advice. They always have an opinion or an answer. The tongue is the rudder with which they navigate their way through life (an analogy James uses in the New Testament), and it is a far less trustworthy implement than they think.

• The unkind tongue

What is fascinating about the tongue is that as evil as it can be, it is capable of amazing goodness as well. Solomon says the words of the wise are filled with grace. 

• The unwise tongue

Roxanne Lulofs labels an undisciplined talker as “HARM,” for Hit-and-Run Mouth. She says that people with hit-and-run mouths, for whatever reason, feel compelled to tell you just what they think of you and your actions, regardless of how well they know you. Their desire is to be heard without hearing, to be known without knowing. They do not care about getting their facts straight. They want attention.

• The unreasonable tongue 

Solomon tells us about the man who is always forecasting what roads lie ahead then gets lost on his way to the office. Here are people with little sense of direction in life, yet they are always talking about what they are planning to do in the future, how the future is going to be played out, and what they intend to accomplish.

• The unfaithful tongue

This is the origin of the little expression: “A little bird told me”. Birds don’t talk, of course, but Solomon is reminding us with this illustration that a wise person does not say something in private that he would not want someone to hear in public.

DAY 29: LIFE IS UNCERTAIN: EMBRACE IT! 

(Ecclesiastes 11:1-6) 

1. In his vast wisdom, Solomon understands that life under the sun, without God, is a meaningless experience. It is life on the treadmill—you get your exercise, but you don’t go anywhere. Solomon employs many metaphors to describe the vanity of life. Chasing the breeze. A puff of smoke. Dust in the wind. The laughter of fools or a forgotten memory. Life without God, as Solomon has demonstrated in many ways, is utterly meaningless.

2. Solomon articulates some overarching principles on which we should base our lives. These are his final admonitions—four of them:

• Life is uncertain: embrace it! (Ecclesiastes 11:1–6)

• Life is short: enjoy it! (11:7–12:8)

• Life is mysterious: examine it! (12:9–12)

• Life is obedience: express it! (12:13–14)

3. Because God’s plans are hidden, we do not know what will happen. We trust Him, we love Him, and we obey Him; but we do not know His timetables. He may call us home at any instant—or He may send us on some new earthly mission. God moves in mysterious ways, and that invites uncertainty into the world. Because we cannot foretell the future, we do not know what will happen. We work hard and seek prosperity, but the economy and the company and even our ability to work are all intangibles. We do not know what the future holds, and that, too, invites uncertainty into the world.

4.  Solomon gives us two much more practical, much more useful scraps of advice:

a. Be diversified in your investments

Don’t put all your grain in one ship. Put your wheat in several ships, and send it out in a diversified way so that if one of the ships should sink, you will not be ruined.

b. Be diligent in your involvement

Solomon’s advice is to keep moving forward; the more uncertainty, the more determined we should be. When he heard people say, “Life is uncertain, so let’s give up,” he replied, “Life is uncertain, so let’s roll up our sleeves”. Prepare for the worst, and work for the best. Over and over, the Bible tells us to work, to be faithful, to be diligent, to be strong, and to use our gifts and resources wisely. “[Redeem] the time,” says Ephesians 5:16, “because the days are evil”.

5. In these days of uncertainty, we can ask for no better course. Even as the darkness falls, the light is certain to overcome it. So bring the candles. Lift them aloft to spread their light for as long as the wax holds out, for as long as our strength holds out. The Lord could come today, or He could come in a thousand years. In either case, let us be about our Father’s business.

DAY 30: LIFE IS SHORT: ENJOY IT! 

(Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8)

1. How do we enjoy life? Solomon is going to suggest four specific ways for our consideration:

• Each day totally

We praise God because it is right, because it is appropriate, and because it is commanded. But praising God also has a radical effect on us. I dare you to begin the next seven days with intense, heartfelt praise and worship. Develop the attitude of totally experiencing each day.

• Enjoy your youth thoroughly

Youth is to be enjoyed and dedicated to the One who planned it for us.

• Express your faith thoroughly

Now is the time when you will make the pivotal decisions on which your whole future will turn. Please don’t make them without your Lord.

• Embrace your aging thankfully

Regardless of whether you have been hatched recently or you are soon to be dispatched, why not enjoy life to the fullest?

2. Then again, Art Linkletter once said that it is better to be over the hill than under it. Whatever life is for us, wherever we find ourselves in age or stage, every moment is a gift of God—brightly wrapped, waiting to be opened, admired, and delighted in. The bittersweet nature of loss makes the present more precious; knowing that the silver cord will one day slip away, we cherish it all the more while it is in our hands.

3. We must not spend too much time brooding over life’s transience, for that defeats the very purpose. The time is to be used, to be invested in joy and meaning. That includes today. Go ye therefore and have fun!

DAY 31: LIFE IS MYSTERIOUS: EXAMINE IT! 

(Ecclesiastes 12:9-12)

1. In school we study and then take an exam. Solomon claims that in the real world we face the exam, and then we study. He tells us that wisdom comes through instruction, through insight, and through inspiration.

2. You can be a Solomon. You can be wise. You can acquire the biblical, spiritual, and mental skills to help people:

• Wisdom comes through instruction 

As we study the proverbs of Solomon, we’ll grow in wisdom. And sometimes a simple sentence of truth—one Spirit-inspired sentence—can change a person’s whole attitude and life.

• Wisdom comes through insight

Do you ever struggle to find just the right words to say to someone? Well, remember God’s offer in James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without  reproach, and it will be given to him”.

• Wisdom comes through inspiration

The wisdom He gives is like nails that drive truth into the walls of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere the Word of God is likened to a sharp, two-edged sword and is like a hammer that breaks rocks to pieces.

Other books were given for our information, but the Bible was given for our transformation.

3.  Some define wisdom as “seeing life from God’s point of view”. I prefer to say that wisdom is the ability to apply biblical truth to real-life situations. Without the Bible, no one can be wise, for wisdom is the ability to see more than things as they are “under the sun”. It is the ability to perceive how the God of heaven sees a situation and apply His divine wisdom to it.

Our faith is not primarily about searching; it is about finding. It’s not about questions; it’s about answers.

4. There is one truth from one Shepherd. Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). We must not get so caught up in postmodern inquiry as to forget that questions are for answers, and the answers are available in God’s Word.

CONCLUSION

LIFE IS OBEDIENCE:EXPRESS IT! 

Fear God and keep His commandments,

For this is man’s all.

For God will bring every work into judgment,

Including every secret thing,

Whether good or evil.

—Ecclesiastes 12:13–14

1. You could have no riches, no power, no glory, none of life’s ordinary pleasure, and if you knew that one thing—simple enough for any child—you would have the map to finding happiness. Eternity is fixed in our hearts; light calls to light; deep calls to deep. Therefore, we must travel or be forever wretched, miserable creatures.

2. Fear God: that is the point of departure. Keep His commandments: that is the path. Travel it seriously, eyes fixed ahead as you walk the narrow way, and you will indeed see glimpses of the Eternal City. To fear God means to be struck with awe in His all-consuming, holy presence; to stand always and forever in breathless exaltation of who He is and what He has done and how vastly and infinitely His greatness overshadows our brief, vaporous existence.

Just beneath that, Solomon scrawls, “Keep His commandments”. Yes, Solomon nods, it is the only way. Find out what God wants done, and go do it, regardless of the cost. All the rest is vanity, heartache, wandering blind.

3. God created you with a place in your heart that only He can fill. He has set eternity in your heart. Life for you and for me is like a trip to the mall on Christmas Eve. There is color and music and mingled fragrances everywhere, all sensuous, all seductive, all competing for our attention—all the vanities and pursuits that come up empty.  Solomon tried every one of them. Then, in the back corner, we see the narrow door. It is quiet, plain, unmarked, and largely ignored as people rush by. But we know that our Savior has left this door ajar for us and that it leads us to the place where we will find all that our hearts have desired.

The Good Shepherd said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The door may be plain, but the world behind it is rich indeed. Open that door. Begin the adventure that will be the greatest of your life and the joy that will be the richest.

DAVID JEREMIAH

31 DAYS TO HAPPINESS