I JUST WANT TO BE HAPPY... VANITY
The elusiveness of the butterfly...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
37 TIMES SOLOMON STATES VANITY OF VANITIES
Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NLT) “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”
Ecclesiastes 1:2 (MSG) Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That's what the Quester says.]
There's nothing to anything—it's all smoke.
THOUGHT TODAY: JOY IS THE FLAG FLOWN HIGH FROM THE CASTLE OF OUR HEARTS
WHEN THE KING IS IN RESIDENCE THERE...
We dream of heaven because it is a place of love and happiness.
We want to avoid hell as it is a place of misery, hate and rejection.
Life is more than a destination --- life is about the journey.
COME LET US REASON ABOUT THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS AND HOW ELUSIVE
THIS SEARCH CAN BE...
Many want to talk about SOME WHERE OVER THE RAINBOW WE WILL FIND _________???
I heard Garth Brooks say when he was asked about MAKING IT IN NASHVILLE:
OZ IS ONLY OZ IF YOU DO NOT LIVE THERE.
Where is that POT OF GOLD, that when I find it: EVERYTHING WILL BE OK!
LET US STUDY THE MAN THAT HAD EVERYTHING? AND SEARCHED DEEPLY...
SEARCH THROUGH WISDOM
A. Solomon was wise judge: The case of the two mother's baby. (1 Kings 3:16-28)
B. Solomon was WISER THAN ANY MAN BUT JESUS... (1 Kings 4:29-30)
C. Solomon WROTE ALL KINDS OF PROVERBS AND SONGS. (1 Kings 4:32-34))
D. SOLOMON'S TEMPLE ( 1 Kings 5&6)
E. Solomon's prayer life: (1 Kings 8: 22-53)
SOLOMON'S ELUSIVE PATH TO HAPPINESS CAME TO SEARCH THROUGH FOLLY...
A. LUXURIOUS LIVING (1 KINGS 4:22,23, 10:21)
B. UNEQYUALLY YOKED to heathen women (1 Kings 11&12)
C. PLEASURE, SENSUALITY EXCESSIVENESS (1 Kings 11:3)
D. MEAN ANBD OPPRESSIVE TO PEOPLE (1 Kings 12:4)
E. PERMITED, SPONCERED, AND SANCTIONED IDOLATRY...
COME LET US STUDY THE PATH AND TRAIL TO HAPPINESS---
1. WE THINK WE CAN CHASE PLEASURE AND FIND HAPPINESS...
Ecclesiastes 2:1 (NLT) I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good
things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 2:1 (KJV) I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore
enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
Today we have SPORTS: $10 MILLION fight; World Series, Super Bowl, World's Cup,
Millions on comedians, movies,
Super sports structure that will never pay for themselves... TAXES.
2. WE SEARCH FOR MIND ALTERING CHEMICALS...
Ecclesiastes 2:3 (KJV) I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart
with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men,
which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
Ecclesiastes 2:3 (NLT) After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still
seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness
most people find during their brief life in this world.
There are 30,000 more liquor stores than churches.
77 million Budweiser a week... High Life, Weekends were made for...
Conclusion:
Proverbs 20:1 (NLT) Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink
cannot be wise.
3. We think if I could just have.... I WOULD BE HAPPY... MATERIALISM...
Ecclesiastes 2:4 (NLT) I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting
beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees.
6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves.
7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large
herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you
everything you need.
There was a man with millions of dollars of rare jewels dying of thirst in the desert,
he opened the barrels and said: NO WATER, JUST JEWELS...
4. THE JOURNEY TO HAPPINESS LEADS US TO RELATIONSHIPS, SENSUALITY...
700 WIFES, 300 CONCUMBINES...
1 Kings 11:1 (NLT) 1. Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter,
he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.
2 The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will
turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.
3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away
from the Lord.
Conclusion:
Proverbs 21:19 (NLT) It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.
5. Can we find happiness in MONEY --- HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
(PART A) Ecclesiastes 2:8 (NLT) I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings
and provinces....
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NLT) Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think
that wealth brings true happiness!
6. IS HAPPINESS FOUND IN MUSIC?
PART B) Ecclesiastes 2:8 (NLT) I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many
beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!
Music has power:
Jimmi Hendrix claimed hypnotizing effects
Mick Jagger: after mind
Kiss
Fleetwood Mac to witches
Rolling Stones sympathy for the devil,
Alice Cooper : cold Ethel, sex with dead...
7. IF WE COULD JUST GET ENOUGH EDUCATION AND WISDOM...
Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs, 1005 songs...
Ecclesiastes 12:12 (NLT) But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing
books is endless, and much study wears you out.
LET US COME TO THE CONCLUSION--- WHAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE?
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NLT) That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and
obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including
every secret thing, whether good or bad.
Happiness and joy will always draw people to it, because that is what they are seeking for...
Is it a real expectation to think you can always be happy?
There is told a lesson from the middle east: a man lived in the extreme, dry desert...
He searched far and wide to find a source of water. His search lead him many directions.
He continued to search outside the camp. He sought everyone's advice where to find water.
One day he was tired and was in his tent... and there he found a spring with abundance
of water. While running and searching every where, he found the spring in his tent.
See, his search was always external and dependent on others, to his surprise the answer
was not outside, but to find his needs were internal...
THE SOURCE IS FROM WITHIN... IT IS BETWEEN HE AND A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD.
Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure, there is
your heart; where your heart is, there will be your happiness.
The whole is searching for happiness and joy, but we know you can not buy happiness
at a price...
Happiness is not found in your possessions, but rather in your giving.
HAPPINESS IS NOT HOW MUCH YOU HAVE, BUT RATHER HOW MUCH YOU
ENJOY AND TREASURE WHAT YOU HAVE.
Little deeds of kindness, little words of love, can make earth happy, like HEAVEN.
There may be love without happiness, but there can never be happiness without
love.
It is said three things make us content & happy:
1. A seeing eye; 2. A hearing ear; 3. A tender heart...
Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked
shall perish.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that the law, happy is he.
Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening
of the Almighty:
Psalm 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God
is the LORD.
Happiness is: 1. Enthusiasm in life. 2. Focus of faith. 3. Whole-heartedness --- HAPPINESS IS FAITH.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
