The teacher in Ecclesiastes has everything, yet he still manages to feel depressed and despondent. The reasons he gives for his depression are the apparent meaninglessness of life and the fact that man cannot find satisfaction or contentment. Each new day is just a repetition of all the other days that have gone before. In fact, there is nothing that is actually new, nothing that is fresh. In a restless and weary turn of phrase, the Teacher coins the well-used quote: “History merely repeats itself.” According to the Teacher’s reasoning, there is no worth to be found in doing things that have already been done and seen and experienced by other people.

Depression is an easy pit to fall into. Absolutely nothing in life will bring fulfillment if we do not realize and understand that only God brings validity to our lives. We can achieve the highest statesmanship, amass fortunes, create great works of art, or spend our lives in humanitarian causes. If these things are done in the absence of God as Lord in our lives, however, they will not bring fulfillment; instead, they will only bring emptiness.