Ecclesiastes 11

Remember Your Creator While Young (11:7–10)

7–10 In these verses, the Teacher tells young people to live life to the fullest, because days of darkness are coming—days of trial, sickness and old age—that lead inevitably to the grave; after that, everything will be meaningless²³ (verse 8).

But, in verse 9, the Teacher adds a crucial fact: everything we have done in life—all these things—will be judged by God. God will either punish us or reward us for what we have done on earth (see Ecclesiastes 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:10). It is this fact that gives meaning to our lives.

In view of this, says the Teacher in verse 10, let us banish anxiety and cast off [our] troubles—the sins that so easily entangle us (Hebrews 12:1). If we seek to please God and obey His commands, we can place our future in His hands with confidence (Ecclesiastes 3:12–14; 12:13–14). Our youth and vigor are meaningless because they will soon pass, but our life with God will go on forever.