What Profit?

Because all men die, the writer of Ecclesiastes laments: What profit hath a man of all his labor...? (Ec 1: 3) Noting that the eyes of man are never satisfied (Ec 1:8; Pr 27:20), he concludes that all is vanity.
How are the eyes "never satisfied"? First Jn 2:15-17 states:
Love not the world...For all that is in the world...the lust of the eyes...is not of the Father, but of the world...And the world passeth away.
Outside of God's redeeming grace, humans will lust after whatever their eyes see that is appealing. Eve lusted after the fruit that appeared attractive to her. Earthly possessions pass away. Mark 8:36 asks:
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1-2 reflects on the meaninglessness of life when viewed without an eternal perspective. He concludes that even the profitable life and the life of pleasure is vanity and of no real enduring profit. Love of the world is not of the Father. Solomon did great works and "whatever mine eyes desired I kept not from them" (Ec 2:10). He had everything anyone could want, but he found life without God was meaningless.
How many individuals today are too busy (or just unwilling)to recognize the meaninglessness of their efforts aimed at satisfying the "lust of the eyes," which can never be satisfied? Solomon calls it vexation of spirit or grasping for the wind. The Lord has an answer to the meaningless life, but the individual has to recognize the meaninglessness of his efforts first.

An Appointed Time To Die

During my mother's last days the Lord comforted me with Ecclesiastes 3: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die... ( Ec 3:1-2). The word season can be viewed as an appointed occasion. God has an appointed time, an occasion, for each one of us to die.
Four days before she died, my mother lay in her hospital bed with her sitter, my husband and me in the room. She spontaneously started praying: "Father, forgive me of my sins. Thine be the kingdom and the power and the glory." She was clearly not talking to us or for our benefit.
Believing the Gospel, that Jesus is Savior and God and the means to salvation, is not equivalent to being saved. Even the devils believe the facts about salvation (Jm 2:19). The Lord in His mercy let me see my mother's humble request for forgiveness, which He will not deny (See Matthew 7:7-11).

Philippians--Joy in Knowing Christ

Paul rejoiced whenever he thought of the Philippians believers. This group of Christians shared his missionary zeal and supported his ministry. Paul viewed them as fellow-laborers in the Gospel. Unlike other churches he had founded, Paul did not need to correct them for doctrinal errors or for blatant sin in the church. Paul loved the Philippian believers and longed to see them.

Paul noted that joy was a part of the normal Christian life, experienced, for example, in the following cases:
1. Whenever Paul thought about his beloved Philippians (1:4);
2. Whenever the Gospel of Christ was preached (1:18);
3. Whenever Paul was able to reunite with the Philippians (1:25-25);
4. Whenever the Philippians were like-minded with Paul (2:2);
5. In the event the Philippians were steadfast until the day of Christ (2:16);
6. As Paul's life was being poured out in his service to the Philippians as an offering to God (2:17);
7. When Epaphroditus, a brother in Christ, would be reunited with the Philippians (2:25-28);
8. When believers worship God in the Spirit, they rejoice in Christ Jesus (3:3);
9. When Jesus returns and Paul receives a crown for his work with the Philippians (3:20-4:1);
10. When the Philippians support his ministry (4:10); and
11. Always rejoicing because of being in the Lord (4:4).

Paul had learned how to be content, whether he had abundance or was in need (4:11-13). He rejoiced when the Philippians sent him support, not so much for the support itself, but for the expression of their love for him. Like Paul, the Christian today, being saved from sin and damnation and being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, can live in peace and contentment, with the joy of the Lord ever-present. Paul is the example to follow (3:17).

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice (4:4)!

We Are Your Rejoicing (11 Co 1--2:4)

The theme of this section is found in verse 1:14: "...we are your rejoicing even as you also are ours...." Paul rejoiced that God had empowered his ministry team to witness to the Corinthians that Jesus was the Son of God, with the result that they had believed and had become brothers and sisters in Christ with Paul.

Paul explained that the persecution his ministry endured caused them to trust not in themselves, but in God, and enabled them to share God's comfort with the Corinthians when they went through times of similar suffering.

Paul assured them of his love and explained his delay in returning to them: he was waiting to see if they had accepted his previous chastisement and if they had followed his instruction, so that when he came again, he would not have to chastise them further. He wanted their next meeting together to be a joyous one.

Chastisement by Paul is a form of accountability for the Corinthians and a means of instruction. In 1 Corinthians 5 he had chastised the church for tolerating incest by a member. He had instructed the church to chastise the member who was in sin. Paul's love for the Corinthians was evidenced by his willingness to rebuke them and help them to grow in their understanding of the Christian life.

It is clear that the Lord Jesus enables His followers to rejoice and to be joyful as each believer contemplates the love of Jesus (seen through salvation) and the love of the brethren. This joy is not diminished by persecution or suffering. Being a part of the family of the Lord Jesus, whether or not in times of trouble, is reason to rejoice.