Everyday it seems that the world is getting worse. When we watch the evening news, we see tragedy everywhere. Terrorism is rampant. Child kidnappings are a regular feature on the news. Young children are killed in car accidents. Murders take place too close to our homes. Natural disasters, like earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes, occur on a regular basis. Students carry guns to school and kill their peers and teachers.

Furthermore, the tragedies do not end with the news. Many hit closer to home. Half of all marriages are torn apart by divorce. Many children have to split time between mom and dad. Children are turning to smoking, drugs, and pre-marital sex at younger ages all of the time. When we examine ourselves, we find that we are not happy. We do not like what we see in the mirror. That is why men try to find the latest procedure to make their hair grow. There is an obsession to be thin, even to the point of taking dangerous drugs such as phen-fen or turning to anorexia. In order to escape, many drink alcohol or in order to make the world go away. Some look for happiness by trying to buy clothes that are the latest style, a new luxury car, or some other thing that will produce happiness. Some look for satisfaction through extra-marital affairs, pornography, prostitutes, or homosexuality.

Much of life is spent looking for happiness and fulfillment. Yet, the search is never ending because we can not find happiness and fulfillment through these things. One man who was looking for happiness and fulfillment wrote about his journey. The man was Solomon, the King of Israel. King Solomon was the richest and wisest man on earth. But, he was unhappy. He wrote, "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).

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Even though Solomon was incredibly rich, his riches failed to satisfy him. He said,

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

 

After trying everything, Solomon discovered, "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" (Ecclesiastes 12:8). However, he finally concluded, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Solomon, the wisest man in the world concluded that the only thing that can make a person happy is a relationship with God. Many people do not want to hear that they need a relationship with God. So, they continue to try different ways to find happiness, but it always alludes them. Happiness can only be found in God. We reject God because we are sinners. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Because of our sin, we have a broken relationship with God and God says that we have become His enemy. (Romans 5:10).  That is why we reject God and look for happiness in other places.

 

The result of our sin and rejection of God is death and an eternity in hell. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death . . ." On our own, we can not escape the consequences of our sin. We will die and spend eternity in hell. After all, we earned it. It is the wages of our sin.

At this point, we are enemies of God and have earned our way to hell. Fortunately, God loves us. Because of His incredible love for us, he made it possible for us to escape death and hell and to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were sinners, Christ died for us." A penalty has to be paid for our sin. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, paid that penalty by dying for us. By sacrificing His Son for us, God has given us a gift of eternal life. Romans 6:23 says, " . . . the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." All you have to do is accept God's gift.

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