“Laissez les bons temps rouler!” If you are familiar with French or Cajun, you know those words mean “Let the good times roll!!”

You may be thinking that sounds quite unspiritual for a devotional thought, and I guess it is. But the passage of Scripture we’re visiting this week indicates that “letting those good times roll” was something Solomon had fully embraced and was now reflecting on – with some interesting conclusions.

Today we find King Solomon talking to himself. Admit it – you’ve done some talking to yourself too, so don’t act like it’s something strange.

Let’s eavesdrop on his chat with himself:

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure and gratification, so enjoy yourself and have a good time.” But behold this too was vanity (futility, meaninglessness). (Ecclesiastes 2:1 Amp)

I checked out my great-grandmother’s Noah Webster pocket dictionary from 1870 to find the definition of pleasure – just so we could all be on the same page.  But it only indicated that pleasure was something that pleases.

Then I checked a more modern dictionary (Merriam-Webster) that defined pleasure as: desire or inclination, a state of gratification, sensual gratification, frivolous amusement, and a source of delight or joy.

From that definition, I hope you’ll see that not all pleasure is bad. There are and should be things that delight you or give you joy. God has created us with a desire to experience delight and joy. But from the content of his continuing conversation with himself, we’ll see that he is reflecting on the futility of living only for pleasure.

As Solomon thinks back on all the time he spent on pleasures, he concludes that it was meaningless – empty, and a waste of time. (Think how much wisdom he could have imparted to his subjects had he not been so consumed with his pleasures! And maybe he could have written a few more proverbs for us!)

Perhaps you can’t relate to Solomon’s situation, because you think you’re not that addicted to wild and worldly pleasures. But think about this: Have you ever sat down to watch one of your favorite programs on TV and then four hours later, you’re still there – and thinking I can’t believe I’ve wasted the whole evening watching stuff I really don’t care about. Or the same thing with playing games on your iPhone or other devices for hours on end, or scrolling through social media for hours keeping up with people you don’t even know – and for what? Might you conclude, like Solomon, that pleasure in excess is meaningless? Think about it.

By Judy Shrout