The View That Changes Everything

“I have seen all the works done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” -Ecclesiastes 1:14

Solomon—the wisest and richest king who ever lived—calls himself “the Preacher,” the one who gathers an assembly to speak truth. Yet in Ecclesiastes, we find him wrestling with life, debating its meaning, and often sounding discouraged. He had tasted success, wealth, fame, and pleasure, but none of it satisfied. In the early chapters, Solomon looks at life and concludes that everything “under the sun” is empty—like trying to grab the wind. And if we read his words without the right perspective, it can feel heavy, even hopeless.

But Solomon’s despair had a cause: his heart had drifted from God. Though God blessed him because of His promise to David, Solomon’s disobedience led him into idolatry. He married foreign wives who turned his heart toward other gods (1 Kings 11:4). So when Solomon looked at life, he looked at it without God at the center. His perspective was horizontal, not vertical—“under the sun,” not “above the sun.” When you remove God from the equation, even the greatest achievements feel meaningless. It’s like building sandcastles at the edge of the tide—beautiful for a moment, but quickly washed away.

What about you today? Are you trying to make sense of life “under the sun”—through human reasoning, circumstances, or your own understanding? That perspective will always leave you empty. Jesus reminds us that true peace is found in Him alone (John 16:33). When we look “above the sun,” everything changes. Life gains meaning, work gains purpose, and trials gain hope. Solomon teaches us that without God, life is vanity—but with God, life is victory.

Where is your perspective today? Are you chasing things that cannot satisfy, or are you looking to Christ who gives life meaning? Lift your eyes above the sun. Set your heart on Jesus. Let Him give purpose to your work, peace to your mind, and hope to your days.

“Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth ‘thrown in’; aim at Earth and you will get neither.” — C.S. Lewis