Our backyard is lined with woods. It is amazing to watch the change these woods go through each season.
Right now, they have fully thickened as spring unfolded all which grows. They are dense and green, and hardly a neighbor’s house can be seen.
Sitting one morning, I recalled a verse read the previous day:
“Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite.”
(Ecclesiastes 6:9, NIV)
The verse has stuck with me for a few days. We can so clamor for more – more position, more prestige, more money, more house, more car.
Our souls are truly never satisfied, and the reason is right in that verse – our eyes are on the wrong things.
Turning to read the same verse in other translations brings further insight:
- “What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires.” (NASB)
- “Better is the sight of the eyes [the enjoyment of what is available to one] than the cravings of wandering desire.” (AMPC)
- “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite.” (ESV)
What do these translations teach and warn us to do?
We need to be aware of what our souls desire. Our souls will guide us astray, causing us to be selfish, desiring unhealthy acquisitions.
Our appetites will wander. We will crave that which will not benefit our lives both spiritually and physically.
Commercials, billboards, store ads, and even social media are aiming to create an insatiable appetite for more. They are designed to get you to want what you do not already have and spend more money.
So what are we to do with our “roving appetites” and “soul desires”?
“Verse 9 asserts that it is better to be satisfied with what one has (be it money or knowledge) than to be continually driven to obtain more.”
(from The New American Commentary, Vol. 14, page 316)
Maybe that is the reason our house backs up to woods. They block the view of abutting properties. There is no telling if “the grass is greener on the other side.” I only see our herd of rabbits which fills me with delight and brings deep, settled contentment.
Instead of being driven to obtain more,
may we keep our eyes focused upward
and let what we already have be enough.
Reflection:
Do you find your soul desires can lead you to be dissatisfied at times? What are ways you can safeguard against this occurring?
Photo taken by Joanne Viola
In the research for the project I'm working on, people believe in "spirits" that would put on your a hunger that would kill you - and lead to your death - and in the process leach all the nutrients out of your body - "the cravings of wandering desires" sounds like that kind of soul-bondage!
ReplyDelete