Proper 24: Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 5:10-20               

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20

“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this is also vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). One of the great recurring themes of Holy Scripture meets us in our Old Testament reading today. Money doesn’t satisfy, nor all the things that may come by way of it. I often catch myself saying, “I don’t really care about having a lot of money. But I wouldn’t mind the choices a lot of money would bring.” Same thing. Same horrendous error of judgement. And if mankind has done anything in its fairly sad history, it has found ways to cloak its love of money.

Ecclesiastes is a book of heavenly wisdom written to a world that has chosen to find delight in everything but true treasure. God and His Word are treasures. And because of His goodness He allows other joy-bearing blessings into our lives. But they enter to point back to their source.

Read today’s passage and do the hard work of asking yourself, “In what is my delight? What do I treasure?” It’s a great exercise. It is “Realignment 101,” but oh, so important.

God’s Peace to you.