Living on the Ragged Edge: Coming to Terms with Reality

The book of Ecclesiastes ends with the rebel back in the pulpit, now that his heart and soul are above the sun.

Since all of us will “return to the earth” and since our spirit “will return to God who gave it,” now is the time to remember Him in all our ways.

Enjoying life is inseparably linked to the life and plan of our Creator.

Perhaps the best way to paraphrase Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 would be the five-word command, “Stop existing and start living!”

In Ecclesiastes 10:12-20 Solomon goes further into detail, supplying additional information about the characteristics of a fool.

In Ecclesiastes 9:11-18, each verse is a maxim, loosely connected to the next, comprising a whole chapter of contrasts: wisdom versus folly.

Ecclesiastes 9:11-18 is a section of Scripture that invites you to pull out of the rat race and take an honest, studied look at life.

This section of Ecclesiastes, though direct and bold, is very much in tune with life today.

In this paragraph out of Solomon's journal (Ecclesiastes 8:10-17) we find the wise man, hoping to balance idealism with realism.

In Ecclesiastes 8, wisdom is personified in the life of “the wise man.” These principles can be applied to today's leaders.