Vanity of Vanities

     As I sit under "A Friendly Shade," I am thinking and praying that an investment I made comes to fruition.  I am sure we all worry about our investments.  We want to accumulate enough to meet our needs and are often disappointed when our investments fail or, if we are fortunate enough to accumulate more than we need, we are still looking for something else to fill our desires. 
     In Ecclesiastes King Solomon wrote that all is vanity; everything is meaningless.  He wonders what profit a man has for all his labor "under the sun."  Soloman talks of how one generation passeth away-another cometh; the sun rises and the sun goes down; all rivers run into the sea yet the sea is not full. 
     Solomon was rich.  He had acquired more money than he could spend.  He was powerful, yet he pondered, "What is the purpose?  Everything is wearisome, we are not content."  He knew there was a time to live and a time to die.  Life was a cycle.  
     The key here is "under the sun."  The conclusion is that while we are busy building an earthly inheritance we need to be just as committed to building a godly inheritance, for God is the only true source of happiness. 

Vanity of Vanity;

The soul of humanity!

I created a great estate

And put up a mighty, protective gate.
I saw what my hands hath wrought,
But was it all for naught?
What profit did I have under the sun?

Vanity of Vanity

The soul of humanity!

I labored morning and night,

Purchasing possessions for my delight. 
I saw what I had accomplished upon this earth,
But who’d really know its worth? 
What value would it be under the sun?    

Vanity of Vanity;

The soul of humanity!

When old age has taken its toll.

I will yearn for a different earthly stroll;
Something more profitable under the sun; 
A work bringing words, like, “Well done!”

Thoughout the days and to the end,
Let not life be for naught, my friend.
Will it be, “Vanity of Vanity;
The Soul of Humanity,”
Or “Works of Christianity?”  
                       Mary Crisp Jameson