FRIDAY - 15TH AUGUST, 2025
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - Olusola ADEJUMO
BEFORE YOU SAY, "I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THEM"
Ecclesiastes 12:1, KJV
"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."
Today brethren, we shall push what we began yesterday. Read this verse above again and pay attention to its tail end.
In that verse is the response of an aged man or woman to the request of a younger one, likely the children or grandchildren of the man being addressed.
Before the Bible could say, "nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them", it means a request must have first been tendered that would then meet with the response, "I have no pleasure in them." If they asked why, it would be because, "I'm old. I can't do like you young lads again." Growing old means your body/body parts aging or condescending from the one that was once able to the one that's not any longer. And let the truth be told, if your body becomes old before you wear out the visions in your soul, you'll observe you can't do anything anymore.
And indeed, that's true. I know elderly people who are not even in their nineties or eighties who abhor certain acts or life they once lived. That's not because it was a sinful or hard life but because they have grown to a place where they believe that kind of act or life is no longer for them. It'll be taking a risk or endangering themselves. They might reply with something like, "have fun, that's reserved for you now, enjoy yourself." You'll then wonder what went wrong and why a man that can still take being and is still active tends to be withdrawing from what you considered as pleasure and living. Your parents likely have lost pleasure in certain things you still praise as we speak and some of them are rarely in their sixties.
The Bible says, "nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." "I have no pleasure in them" is a response that results upon asking to join the train of something. This reply might have been majorly caused by depreciating sense organs, notably a problem that many elderly suffer as they age.
If you read from verse 2-5 of that same chapter downward, imagery is used to describe the physical effects of aging: trembling hands, weakened legs, failing eyesight, hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping.
When you have aged indeed and you have all these human weaknesses working in you, you can't help it. If your daughter-in-law serves you certain meals, you know it's a no-go area. If your grandchildren want you to watch movies with them, you know you cannot be effective any longer because of your weakened eyesight. At that time, you cannot even do morning exercise or jogging again. Or, what would you be able to do when your hands and ankles shiver and shake without an external vibrator propelling them?
At this period of one's life, it is natural to turn one's thoughts and expectations to other things - one's legacy and the after life. At this time, if anybody gets here and doesn't die when he can still help himself to walk around, his thoughts are not on how to build wealth or conquer the world. All ambitions if there are any are naturally neutralized and put to sleep. The best that could be done is to pass it to one's children or faithful men. That's why the preacher concludes with, "vanity of vanities, all is vanity" (v.8).
Why? At this time, you yield up your labour and greatest treasure to other people. No matter how covetous you are, you can't but let them go. You'll watch other men use them as they like before you. You won't worry much because you have no pleasure in them again. If you once cherished sports cars, it's at all not your priority again no matter how many you have in your garage. You basically leave everything. When others are fighting for it, you'll wonder if it worth it. That's because you're closer to the grave.
That's why you must have had the hope of eternal life. You must have been born again and grown knowing the Lord. At this time, meditation and communion with God will be your succour until the time of your favourable departure to the Lord.
All is vanity of vanities. Don't use your life only to gather goods that'll be dispersed or later yielded up but rather long now for eternal life (John 3:5).
PRAYER: I confess you as my Lord and Savior. Forgive my sins and grant me eternal life. Lord I have a renewed understanding towards rightful living in connection with you.
BIBLE IN A YEAR
II Cor. 1; Psalms 92-94
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