What's the Point?

            Recently, while on a weekend trip with friends, I walked out on the deck to view the scenery.  As I sat down at the table, I noticed two of the ugliest woolly worms I have ever seen traveling around the rim of the table.  They moved a few inches, then stopped, raised their head in the air, looked around, and then, started moving again.  They repeated that process over and over until they had gone completely around the table, and then, they kept going.  I went out again a few hours later, only to find that one of them was still at it. 

            I couldn’t help but laugh and wonder, “Does he think he is actually getting somewhere?  He is in for a rude awakening if he ever finds out that he’s been traveling in circles.” 

            Unfortunately, sometimes, that’s the way our lives feel.  We keep doing the same things over and over again, getting nowhere.  The writer of Ecclesiastes said it like this, “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher.  ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’” (Ecclesiastes 1: 2 NIV84).  He continues to remind us that days come and go, but “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1: 9b NIV84).  Life is temporary, so in his mind, he asks “What’s the point?” 

            Solomon wasn’t the only one who questioned, “What’s the point?”  After the Israelites left Egypt and came face to face with the Red Sea before them and Pharoah’s army behind them, they became angry with Moses.  “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?  What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14: 11 NIV84).  In other words, what’s the point? James, the brother of Jesus, reminds us that our lives are just “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4: 14b NIV84).

            Dwelling on those thoughts can make us as miserable as the woolly worm.  We may feel that we are also on an unending path that takes us nowhere.  The problem is that we have missed the whole point of our existence.  God created us for a purpose, and until we seek to fulfill that purpose, we will continue to ask, “What’s the point?” 

            So, what is our purpose?  Ephesians 1 says we were created for the “praise of His glory” (verses 12 and 14).  In Chapter 2, Paul says we were created to “do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (verse 10).  Without God in our lives, there is no point.  We will continue to seek the things of this world that will never satisfy, and more importantly, will not last.  We will miss “the point”.

            After several depressing chapters about the futility of life, Solomon 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.  For God will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12: 13 – 14). 

Solomon found “the point”.  Without God, all is meaningless.  With God and the blood of His Son as our Savior, we can face the judgment that will someday come.  With Christ, we have the hope of eternity!  Our life on this earth has purpose, but our life in Heaven will be better by far. 

            If you are moving around and around the table getting nowhere, like the wooly worm, make a right turn towards Christ.  He’s waiting to welcome you with open arms.  With Him, you have a bright future, and there will come a day when “you will dwell in the House of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23: 6b NIV84).  That’s the point!

Ecclesiastes

Ephesians 1:  12 & 14; and 2: 10

                                                                            Psalm 23