The Weight of Vapor

 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” — Ecclesiastes 12:13 (ESV)

Ecclesiastes is unlike any other book in the Bible. It doesn’t offer easy answers or tidy resolutions. Instead, it invites us into the tension of life’s fleeting nature—naming the frustrations, contradictions, and beauty of existence with poetic honesty. It’s not a book of certainties, but of searching. And yet, at the end of all its wandering, Ecclesiastes lands on something solid: “Fear God and keep his commandments.”

Leo Tolstoy, writing in the late 19th century and best known for War and Peace and Anna Karenina, found himself in a similar existential fog. In A Confession, he reflected on the wisdom born from his spiritual searching:

“I felt that what I had been standing on had collapsed and that I had nothing left under my feet… I could breathe, eat, drink, and sleep… but there was no life, for there were no wishes the fulfillment of which I could consider reasonable… The truth was that life is meaningless.”

It’s a stark confession, but not a hopeless one. Like the Teacher in Ecclesiastes, Tolstoy didn’t stay in despair. He found peace not in answers, but in trust—in the quiet faith of ordinary people who lived with reverence and humility. Ecclesiastes, too, leads us there. It doesn’t deny the mist, but it points us to the One who is not mist. To “fear God” is to stand in awe of the eternal. To “keep his commandments” is to live with purpose, even when life feels uncertain. And for those who follow Christ, this reverence is not abstract—it is embodied in Jesus, who fulfills the law and reveals the heart of God.

This is the gift of Ecclesiastes: it tells the truth about life’s fragility, but it doesn’t leave us adrift. It invites us to anchor ourselves in God—not because we understand everything, but because God is faithful. And that faithfulness is not limited to this life alone—it stretches beyond the vapor, into eternity. In a world that often feels like vapor, we are called to live with holy intention. To walk humbly, love deeply, and trust that even in the fog, God is near.

God of mystery and mercy, thank you for meeting us in the mist. When life feels uncertain or fleeting, help us to rest in your eternal presence. Teach us to live with reverence, to walk in your ways, and to trust your heart even when we cannot trace your hand. You are our peace, our joy, our foundation. In Christ, you have shown us the fullness of your love and the promise of life beyond death. May our lives reflect your goodness, today and always. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim