“我看这也是出于神的手。离开了他，谁能有吃的呢？谁能享乐呢？” – 传 2:24b-25 新译本
有时我们认为拥有更多资源的人更容易获得幸福。这就是为什么著名的艺术家、演员、运动员和其他名人有大量的追随者。我们想像中的他们嘴角挂着微笑，将世界踏在脚下。
《传道书》的作者很可能就是所罗门王，他一生的大部份时间都在追求幸福。他是那个时代最富有、最著名、最受欢迎的人。他不受限制地在财富和享乐中寻求幸福（见传 2:1-23）。他积累了巨大的财富，完成了了不起的建筑工程，但所有的金钱和影响力都不能给他带来真正的幸福。他在酒宴和风流韵事中寻找幸福，但即使是一个庞大的后宫也无法让他满足。
最后，他在建功立业中寻求幸福。在朝圣之旅结束时，他唯一得到的就是空虚感。他终于发现他一直在寻找的实际上是被他推到一边的神！他从事物和冒险中寻求的快乐原来是出于神，因为“离开了他，谁能有吃的呢？谁能享乐呢？”
祷告
主啊，离了你去寻求幸福既令人沮丧，又毫无用处，就像在捕风。只有围绕你去生活，才有幸福。如此祷告，奉耶稣的名。阿们。
传道书2:24-26
24人莫强如吃喝，且在劳碌中享福，我看这也是出于神的手。
25论到吃用享福，谁能胜过我呢？
26神喜悦谁，就给谁智慧、知识和喜乐，唯有罪人，神使他劳苦，叫他将所收聚的、所堆积的归给神所喜悦的人。这也是虚空，也是捕风。
The Pursuit Of Happiness
“This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” – Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
Sometimes we think that people with more resources have the clear path to happiness. That is why famous artists, actors, athletes, and other celebrities have a large number of followers. We imagine them with the world at their feet and a smile on their lips.
The writer of Ecclesiastes, who probably was King Solomon, dedicated much of his life to the pursuit of happiness. He was the richest, most famous, and most sought-after man of his time. Without limitations, he sought happiness in wealth and the pursuit of pleasures (see Ecclesiastes 2:1-23). He amassed great fortunes and took on great building projects, but all of his money and influence could not bring him true happiness. He sought happiness in the pleasures of wine and feasting and love affairs, but not even a great harem could provide satisfaction.
Ultimately, he sought happiness in fame and success. And the only thing he got at the end of his pilgrimage was a feeling of emptiness.
In the end he found that the object of his long search was actually the Lord, whom he had pushed aside! The happiness he sought in things and in adventures was in God, “for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?”
Prayer
Lord, it is a frustrating and useless task to seek happiness apart from you. It’s like chasing the wind. There is only happiness when you are at the center of our lives. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
