{"id":13549,"date":"2025-09-02T08:11:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T12:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/?post_type=oyb&#038;p=13549"},"modified":"2025-09-02T08:11:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T12:11:49","slug":"what-of-life-beyond-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"oyb","link":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/oyb\/what-of-life-beyond-the-sun","title":{"rendered":"WHAT OF LIFE BEYOND THE SUN?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.\u201d (Ecclesiastes 1:14 ESV).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In Solomon&#8217;s book of Ecclesiastes, he referred to himself as the Preacher (<em>Qoheleth<\/em>) who looked at life \u201cunder the sun\u201d and concluded that everything was \u201cvanity\u201d and like \u201cstriving after wind.\u201d The Hebrew word translated &#8220;vanity&#8221; (<em>hebel<\/em>) meant breath or vapor\u2014something fleeting and insubstantial. Solomon had observed human pursuits and achievements apart from God, and they all ended in futility. The Greek Septuagint translated <em>Qoheleth<\/em> as <em>Ekklesiastes<\/em>\u2014\u201cthe one calling out.\u201d Solomon was calling out to his hearers with this sobering truth: unless there is more to life than what is under the sun, life is meaningless. This verse sets the thesis of the entire book. Life pursued apart from God\u2019s eternal perspective cannot satisfy. Solomon described the futility of attempting to find lasting purpose and satisfaction in the created order instead of the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We, like Solomon, can be tempted to chase meaning in the things of this world. Career success, wealth, pleasure, or recognition may offer temporary satisfaction, but they fade like mist. When we live only \u201cunder the sun,\u201d we end up weary and empty, chasing the wind. Yet in Christ, we are invited to lift our eyes \u201cbeyond the sun.\u201d Paul urged believers to set their minds on the realities of heaven, \u201cwhere Christ is, seated at the right hand of God\u201d (Col. 3:1-4). We discover that life is not meaningless at all when Christ is our treasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we confess how often we chase after wind by seeking fulfillment in things that cannot satisfy. Teach us to lift our eyes above the sun, setting our hearts on Christ, who is our life and our meaning. Help us live with eternity in view, finding joy and purpose in You alone. In Jesus&#8217; name, amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.\u201d (Ecclesiastes 1:14 ESV). In Solomon&#8217;s book of Ecclesiastes, he referred to himself as the Preacher (Qoheleth) who looked at life \u201cunder the sun\u201d and concluded that everything was \u201cvanity\u201d and like \u201cstriving after wind.\u201d The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"scripture-book":[1288],"scripture-chapter":[1334],"oyb_day":[1772],"location":[],"class_list":["post-13549","oyb","type-oyb","status-publish","hentry","scripture-book-ecclesiastes","scripture-chapter-1334","oyb_day-september-2"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb\/13549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oyb"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13549"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-book?post=13549"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-chapter?post=13549"},{"taxonomy":"oyb_day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb_day?post=13549"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=13549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}