2026 Lenten Devotional: Day 36 (March 31) — Holy Week: Tuesday
Let us draw near to the perfect God.
Hymn: # 414, O Blessed Life the Heart at Rest
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1–11
Key Verse: “The Preacher says: ‘Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’ What does man gain from all his toil at which he labors under the sun?” (vv. 2–3)
Among the spiritual forebears who serve as role models for us, there is the Reverend Yang Jeong-shin. During the Japanese colonial era, Rev. Yang was born—an unwanted baby girl—into a family that was anxiously awaiting the birth of a son. Furthermore, she lost her sight at the age of seven and was subjected to scorn and contempt from those around her. Even her own family members treated her cruelly. Burdened by these layers of compounded suffering, young Jeong-shin came to realize that there stood an insurmountable wall in her life—a barrier she could never hope to overcome—and she sank into the depths of despair. Then, one day, she received a visit from an evangelist who offered her words of comfort: “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” (Psalm 27:10, *New Korean Revised Version*). Drawing strength from these words, she prayed: “God, everyone tells me that I am useless; what, then, should I do?” At that moment, an answer resonated within her heart: “My daughter, you may not be able to use your eyes, but can you not use your ears? Do you not also have a nose and a mouth? Can you not use your head, your hands, and your feet?” Having received this divine response, she declared: “God, from this day forward, I will use my ears to listen to Your Word.” He made this confession: “With my lips, I will praise the Lord; and with my hands and mind, I will carry out God’s work.” From that moment on, Pastor Yang became a great minister and an educator for the visually impaired, accomplishing such significant deeds that he came to be known as “Korea’s Helen Keller.”
In today’s scripture passage, the phrase that stirs our hearts is, “Everything is vanity.” The word “vanity” implies that all things and phenomena in this world are ultimately futile. The author suggests that whatever we attempt to glean from this world—the very ground upon which we stand—is nothing but emptiness. Even if we were to create something remarkably new in this world, the text declares, “There is nothing new under the sun” (v. 9). It implies that whatever significance such things might have once held has already faded away. Furthermore, it goes so far as to state: “There is no remembrance of former generations, nor will there be any remembrance of later generations yet to come” (v. 11). At first glance, this opening to the Book of Ecclesiastes may appear to be steeped in pessimism and nihilism. However, to interpret it that way is to misunderstand its true intent. The message of “vanity” serves as a reminder that a life bound to the world yields only emptiness and folly; therefore, we are urged to turn our gaze elsewhere—toward that which is not vain—and to orient our lives in that direction. In essence, it calls upon us to turn away from eyes fixed on the world and from our worldly toil, and instead to place our reliance upon the eternal Creator. Those whose hearts are captivated by worldly phenomena will find their lives ending in the same emptiness that characterizes the world itself. Yet, those who declare, “Because the world is vanity, I will place my trust in God,” will truly discover the path to life. May this declaration become the sincere confession of each one of us.
Devotional Question: What is the one thing to which I attach the greatest significance in my life?
Prayer: O God, throughout my life, my heart has often become entangled with the world, leading me at times to be consumed by anxiety and worry. There have also been many instances when, clouded by empty thoughts, I failed to discern the righteous path. Forgive our foolishness, we pray, and grant that from this moment forward, we may fix our gaze solely upon the Lord—our true refuge and the source of life—and press onward. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
