Grand Sweep Daily
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 (NIV)
24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes
11 He has made everything beautiful in His time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Good morning!
When our children were young, Jeff and I looked for ways to make the holidays truly special, something just a little bit out of the ordinary. The celebratory meal included some of our family’s favorite recipes, like Grandma’s mashed potatoes and gravy (something only Grandma could make), banana pudding with whipped cream topping and vanilla wafer crumbles, homemade pizza with mushroom and melting mozzarella, and fancy doughnuts purchased from our favorite breakfast vendor. Our children were early risers on those days, when Jeff and I would have preferred to sleep in. Flipping on the television set, we would sit curled up in our pajamas on the sofa and watch the parades on television. An assortment of doughnuts would be passed around the room. We had our sugar fix early and it made for an interesting day with three little munchkins all wound up and shaking with excitement. We could have offered them a jolt of caffeine from the coffee brewing in the pot by the stove and it would have had the same result – just pick your poison.
Everyone had their favorite doughnuts to choose from. I personally like custard filled doughnuts. Our children liked the jelly and whipped cream kind. Jeff ate his way in Long Johns, a cake-like doughnut with a rich chocolate frosting that would stick to the roof of your mouth and leave a smeary, dark line all over your lips. Our youngest loved the powdered sugar doughnut. This is a delicacy one cannot consume without getting white powder all over your clothing, face and hands. There is no doubt what they have eaten hours later when Mama sends the children back to the bathroom for the third time to wash that sugar off their faces and from behind their ears.
Doughnut batter tends to cook quickly in a boiling pot of oil. The dough leaves hollow holes inside just waiting to be filled with something rich and creamy. A doughy doughnut does not taste nearly as good as something light and fluffy, with a sweet surprise inside. I can no longer eat doughnuts like I used to, since I struggle to keep my blood sugar balanced. Yet, I remember those glorious, magical mornings with my children sitting next to me on the sofa, sharing sugary sweet hugs and holiday kisses.
King Solomon poured out his soul in the book of Ecclesiastes. He asks the questions we often wonder ourselves – what is the meaning of life? On the surface, this book begins with a depressing thought; that everything is meaningless – our work and play, pleasure and toil, birth, life, and eventual death. He says there is nothing to fill the hollow of our heart song, except for God’s love! Without the Lord in our life, we are empty shells walking around the face of this earth, just waiting to be filled up with something sweet and meaningful. Solomon ran from the Lord for years. He tried just a little bit of everything to fill the hole in his heart. In his deepest despair, Solomon realized that nothing could satisfy Him like the love and forgiveness of God.
Take a closer look at your life. Do you have a hole in your heart just waiting to be filled up? Do you feel like your life is meaningless and lacking the one thing that could make you whole? When you invite Jesus Christ into your heart, He brings a sweetness that cannot be purchased. His gift of everlasting life, complete forgiveness, and intimate relationship is free to you today! We cannot earn it, pay for it, or work it off. No amount of knowledge, study, training, or toil can bring it to fruition. Jesus Christ came to fill us up with the light and love of God, our heavenly Father. He gives each of us meaning and purpose, as we seek to share His Word with the world. Without Jesus, we are like empty doughnut shells, just waiting to be filled up with a substance that will complete our life’s work and make us whole.
Would you like to taste the sweetness of new life today? Ask Jesus Christ to come inside and fill you up with His grace, mercy and forgiveness. You will have much to celebrate when you taste and see that the Lord is good. He is all you need to change your meaningless daily exercise into a life that truly matters.
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Pray for: newness of life! Ask Jesus to come inside and fill up the hole in your heart. When you do, you will experience the sweet love of God that only He can give you. Jesus Christ will change you from the inside out. Your life matters to Him. Won’t you give Him your heart today?
________________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.
