24A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
Do you ever wonder what will happen to all your stuff after you die, all that stuff you worked so hard to accumulate? The writer of this passage struggled with this question and came to the conclusion that all that struggle was wasted, that you just pass it along to someone who won’t appreciate it, because they have not struggle to earn it. You have to remember, this was written long before life insurance made it possible to pay for a funeral in advance, and maybe even provide a little cushion for those who survive. What troubled the writer was the fact that he could not control the worthiness of his heir. The results of all his effort would be placed in the hands of someone who might just blow it all. So when he tries to find satisfaction in passing along wealth to the next generation he comes to the same conclusion that we have read before: This too is meaningless. We must find satisfaction right now in what we do, in our service of others and of God. This moment is what we have. The future isn’t guaranteed. The person who lives in relationship with the Lord can relax and enjoy right now. The simple things like eating can be an expression of trust. We need to learn to live in the present, and not always longing for the future. We can trust God with the future, so we can enjoy our time in the present.
The Arnold Journey 