“For like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.” – Ecclesiastes 7:6

A couple weeks ago I went to a Zach Williams concert. During the concert he shared his testimony. He talked about how, before he was a believer, he toured with a secular band and struggled with drugs and alcohol. That all changed the day he came home, and his wife said, “I cannot sit by and watch you destroy yourself like this.” You see, as he was out on the road partying and enjoying himself, that life was slowly killing him. This is the picture in Ecclesiastes 7:6. It is the picture of a pot boiling on a fire. The laughter of the fool is the crackling of the fire. They are living it up and enjoying life, all the while boiling themselves to death.

You do not have to be a drug addict or an alcoholic to fall into this same trap. There are a lot of things in life that seem like a “good time,” but in truth, they are slowly destroying you. Anything that pulls you further from God, takes you away from your family, or separates you from your church is destroying you. It may seem fun at the time, but it is the fire under the pot that is slowly boiling you to death. So, take time today and reflect on how you are living your life. What are the “good times” that are drawing you away from your relationship with God, your family, or your church? Pray that God would reveal those things to you. Pray that he would give you the wisdom and strength to extinguish that fire before it cooks you completely.

Heavenly Father, show us the foolish fires in our lives. Let us see the laughter that is actually killing us. Strengthen us. Give us wisdom. Rescue us from the fire and teach us to live an abundant life in You.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon