Saturday
Ecclesiastes 5:15-17

When I was younger and being particularly irritating, my mother would often say in jest, but with some truth, “I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it!” Believe me when I say I usually deserved this response. As a child, I needed pretty much everything from my parents to survive. Even if I had foolishly tried to be self-sustaining, it would have likely ended in disaster.

When we step back to see all we have is from God, we see how futile our actions are when we try to “store up treasures” (Matthew 6:19) for ourselves here on earth. We can’t take any of it with us. We came into this world with nothing and will leave in the same way. Materialism that is unrestrained is simply “toils for the wind” that will only produce stress and anxiety. It will inevitably lead us to “great vexation, sickness, and anger.” Jesus provides the antidote to this when he says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

For further reading: Matthew 13:22, Luke 18:18–23