When we look at life “under the sun” — apart from God — we often find emptiness, futility, and longing. Solomon’s honest observations challenge us: apart from God, life is hollow. But the gospel reminds us there is redemption for this broken state.

Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NLT)
“I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Reflection
Solomon’s crystalline clarity is a gift. He doesn’t sugarcoat life’s discontents. He observes: many of our efforts, ambitions, and labors, when isolated from God, amount to chasing wind—temporary, unsatisfying. Yet that diagnosis is not the final word. The point is not despair but pointing us back to dependence on God.

Christ enters this very brokenness. He came into a world marred by emptiness to offer fullness. He didn’t promise an easy life, but He promised He is the way, the truth, the life — and in Him our efforts find meaning, our toil finds purpose, our hearts find rest.

Application
What area of your life feels like “chasing wind”? Maybe it’s performance, approval, ambition, or even incessant busyness. Bring it before Christ. Ask Him to redeem that striving — reorient your motives, align with His purpose, and find rest in Him.

References
Ecclesiastes 2:11 (NLT)
“Then I looked at all that I had done and had toiled at. It was all so meaningless — a chasing after the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.”

Colossians 3:1‑2 (NLT)
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Prayer
Lord Jesus, I admit how often I pour my energy into things that fade. Thank You for entering our emptiness and offering lasting meaning. Redeem my heart, reorient my efforts to You. May I live not chasing wind, but alive in You. Amen.