Ecclesiastes 2:24–25 (ESV): 24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 

What is a gift without the giver?

How does one enjoy a gift without first, also, and throughout enjoying the one who gave it?

How many a gift have been despised in the end when the giver falls out of good graces?

How many a gift lose their value and worth when the giver is no longer cherished?

What is a gift without the giver?

How does one enjoy a gift without cherishing and delighting in the one whose hand supplied the gift?

Abba, this is the glorious truth of these precious verses.  Verses that are repeated and reinforced throughout this glorious wisdom book.

To enjoy the gifts given, is a gift in itself.

To enjoy the gifts given, is a fruit of enjoying the giver.

Ecclesiastes 5:18–19 (ESV): 18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.  19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.

This wisdom book is not a, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you may die” book.  Rather, this wisdom book is about delighting in YOU and therefore YES delighting in your gifts.  It is about taking time to slow down, to step back, and to delight in the grace of your gifts AS WE DELIGHT IN YOU.

This is about recognizing that even our ability to enjoy the gifts, to delight in the gifts IS A GIFT given from your gracious hand. 

What does it say if we REFUSE to step back and delight in the gifts AS A MEANS OF DELIGHTING IN YOU?

What does it say if we REFUSE to find joy and delight in the gift of your hands simply because life is overwhelming and stressful, full of trouble?

What does it say if we REFUSE or fail to take that step back and lean into you?

Yes, this is a dishonoring of you.

We should not delight in the gifts as a means and end to themselves.

We SHOULD delight in the gifts as a means to delight in you!

To make much of YOUR worth and glory!

To increase our delight in you!

This is the purpose of these gifts.  That we might delight in you!

Oh Abba, grant us the precious gift of being able to delight in the gift as an expression of our delight in you!