Ecclesiastes 11:7-10 - Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Ecclesiastes 11:7-10 speaks of the goodness and sweetness of light, and the joy it brings to our eyes to behold the sun. The passage encourages us to rejoice in the years of our lives, especially in our youth. We are told to let our hearts be cheerful in the days of our youth, and to follow the ways of our hearts and the desires of our eyes. However, the passage also warns us that God will bring all we do into judgment. We must remember that the days of darkness will be many, and that all of life is fleeting and ultimately meaningless apart from God. The Preacher exhorts us to remove anxiety and vexation from our hearts, and pain from our bodies, recognizing that youth and the dawn of life are vanity. This passage captures the tension between enjoying the goodness of life that God has given us, while also recognizing the brevity and ultimate meaninglessness of life without God. We are to rejoice in the light and sweetness of life, following the cheerful ways of our hearts, yet with the sober understanding that we will give an account to God for how we have lived. The goodness of youth, while sweet, is fleeting. True meaning, goodness and light are found not under the sun, but beyond the sun in God himself.

As I reflect on Ecclesiastes 11:7-10, I'm struck by the call to rejoice in the goodness and light of life, while holding that in tension with the sobering reality of life's brevity and the accounting we must give to God. It's easy to get caught up in the anxieties, vexations and pains of this world. To live life under the sun as if this is all there is. But the Preacher reminds us that a life lived solely for the pleasures of youth and the desires of our flesh is ultimately meaningless. The cheerful days of youth, while good and sweet, are fleeting. Apart from God, all of life is vanity. Yet this passage also affirms the goodness of God's creation and the light he sheds on our lives. We are called to rejoice in the years we are given. To let our hearts be cheered by the days of our youth. There is a time to walk in the ways of our hearts and enjoy the desires of our eyes. God gives us good things to enjoy. The key is remembering that the good life is a gift from God, but not the ultimate gift. We hold the joys of this life with open hands, recognizing they are fleeting and that we will all stand before God to give an account. Youth fades, darkness comes. But God is eternal. So as I ponder this passage, I'm challenged to enjoy the goodness of life with a grateful heart, knowing it all comes from God. To rejoice in the light, but not to put my hope in it. To cheer my heart in the days of my youth, while remembering my Creator. To hold the sweetness of life loosely, recognizing this world and my youth are passing away. True goodness, meaning and light are found beyond the sun. May I rejoice in God's good gifts, but may my hope be anchored in the Giver, not the gifts. For he alone is the eternal goodness that never fades.

Gracious God, you are the source of all goodness and light. You have given me the gift of life and filled my days with your blessings. Thank you for the sweetness of your light and the joy it brings to behold your creation. Forgive me for the times I have chased after the fleeting pleasures of youth and the desires of my flesh apart from you. For the times I have been riddled with anxiety and vexation, forgetting that you are sovereign. Teach me to number my days and rejoice in the years you give. Help me hold the good gifts of life with open hands, enjoying them but not placing my hope in them. Remind me that youth fades and darkness comes, but you are eternal. Anchor my heart in you, the source of ultimate goodness, light and meaning. May I live for your glory and pleasure, not just my own. And may I remember that I will give an account to you for how I have lived. Thank you that in Jesus, I have a light and a goodness that will never fade. May I walk in his ways and reflect his light all my days. In his name I pray, Amen.