Don’t Waste Your Life Chasing Smoke | Ecclesiastes 12:8

Welcome to The Daily, where we go through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day.

We are in the last chapter of Ecclesiastes. That means today, we are 2 days away from starting the Gospel of Mark. Go to the website and grab the Scriptural Journal for this study so you can study along with us.

Today, we’re looking at Ecclesiastes 12:8:

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.— Ecclesiastes 12:8

This is Solomon’s final conclusion. The last echo of a theme he has repeated from the very first line of Ecclesiastes to the very end: "Vanity of vanities... all is vanity."

But this isn’t just repetition—it’s the closing line of a grand experiment.

Solomon, the preacher-king, has tested everything. Wisdom. Pleasure. Work. Wealth. Achievement. He’s chased every path under the sun. He’s tasted every fruit the world has to offer. And here’s his final verdict:

It’s all smoke.

That’s the deeper meaning of the word “vanity” in Hebrew—hevel—vapor, mist, breath, smoke. Something that looks solid but slips through your fingers. It’s not meaningless, but it’s ungraspable. Fleeting. Elusive.

Solomon’s point is simple: if you build your life on anything but God, you build on smoke.

All the tests have been run. All the variables explored. And this is what the wisest man to walk the earth—besides Jesus—wants you to know:

Don’t waste your life chasing smoke.

So stop putting your hope in what won’t last. Stop assuming the next achievement, relationship, or possession will settle your soul. It won’t.

The purpose of Ecclesiastes isn’t to lead us to despair. It’s to lead us to God—the only One who isn’t a smoke show.

#VanityOfVanities, #ChasingSmoke, #WisdomFromSolomon

ASK THIS:
What pursuit in your life feels like chasing smoke?
Why is it so easy to hope in things that won’t last?
How does the word hevel change your view of success?
What would it look like to build your life solely on God?
DO THIS:
Identify one thing you’ve been chasing that won’t last—and surrender it to God today.

PRAY THIS:
God, I don’t want to waste my life chasing what won’t satisfy. Teach me to build on what is eternal—You alone. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
Jesus Have It All.