Daily Devotional | God’s Perfect Gifts

During our first year of marriage, my wife and I ate dinner at a restaurant that looks out over a massive lake in north Idaho. We could only afford it because I worked there. We sat on the deck and ate our meals slowly while the sun descended behind the majestic mountain peaks. Now, 15 years and three kids later, we don’t have many evenings to enjoy an expensive meal and watch the sunset over a lake. But we do find immense satisfaction in the work we do and in raising our boys to love Jesus.

Following on the heels of his frank assessment of the inability of wealth and possessions to satisfy, the Teacher turns to what does matter in life. Once again, he directs our attention to the Garden of Eden. Before Adam and Eve rebelled against God, they enjoyed eating, drinking, working in the garden, and companionship. After sin entered the world, life changed. The things they once enjoyed were now marred by anxiety, turmoil, conflict. We too know what it’s like to live in this world turned upside down. Many people try to cope with the help of material possessions, alcohol, work, or social media. But none of those things will satisfy or bring meaning to our lives. In contrast, the Teacher tells us that God’s original gifts to our ancestors are still His gifts to us today; they are our “portion” or “lot” in life.

Remarkably, the Teacher reminds us that enjoying this normal, day-to- day living is a generous gift from our generous God. James 1:17 teaches: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights.” We don’t have to have sunset dinners or wild adventures or the best gadgets; our “lot,” our “gift,” is taking joy in the mundane, which, it turns out, is not mundane at all.

Go Deeper

How do you typically cope with life’s difficulties? What are some ways that you can strive to more fully enjoy God’s original gifts?

Pray with Us: Jesus, Lord, You see our deepest longings, and You invite us to entrust our longings to You. May we live in the light of Your kingdom, may we always see the true King and know who we are in Him.

BY Dr. Russell L. Meek

Russell Meek teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at Moody Theological Seminary. He writes a regular column on understanding and applying the Old Testament at Fathom Magazine, and his books include Ecclesiastes and the Search for Meaning in an Upside-Down World and the co-authored Book-by-Book Guide to Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary. Russ, his wife, and their three sons live in northern Idaho.