11 He has made everything [b]appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, [c]yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should [d]fear Him. 15 That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.
There is the tension in our everyday lives, between living in the present, and looking toward the future. Or even sometimes “living in the past”. You may have heard it said, “that person is so heavenly minded, he’s no earthly good.” That is, they’ve focused so much on eternity that they don’t bother doing anything here and now except wait for Jesus’ return.
Solomon speaks to this problem in this passage. God has set eternity in our hearts, so that we are concerned with the future, with what will come after this life (both on earth and in heaven), yet he does not allow us to live there. God sees all of time, “from the beginning even to the end”, but that is not our lot. There is something to be said for planning for the future, but if we become so fixated on the future that we forget the present, well, “that’s no earthly good” either.
Likewise, living in the past is a dangerous thing. We ought to learn from it, fix our mistakes and work to become better and more like Jesus. But God has given us only this lifetime on earth, and Solomon tells us “there is nothing better… than to rejoice and to do good.” God knows all that has passed, and all that will be, and it should fill us with awe.
Yet it should not distract us from living intentionally right now. Do not let this moment, this hour, this day, pass you by unwittingly. God has planned something for you to do, right where you are. Do not get stuck waiting for the future, or bemoaning the past, but rejoice that you have the opportunity of today, and do the good that God has set before you. Great or small, do it with all your heart, do it for God and his glory.