The American Dream vs. The Kingdom Dream | Ecclesiastes 2:9-11

02/12/25 • 4 min

We’re told that if we work hard enough, chase success, and indulge in life’s pleasures, we’ll finally be happy. That’s the American Dream, right? But what if that dream is too small?

Solomon had his own version of the dream—call it the Israeli Dream. He built an empire, amassed legendary wealth, indulged in every pleasure, and gained unmatched wisdom. And when he finally had it all, he looked back and said: “It was all a smoke show.” If the wisest, wealthiest man in history found no lasting fulfillment in his dream, maybe we should rethink ours.

Welcome to The Daily. We go through the bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, every single day.

Our text today is Ecclesiastes 2:9-11.

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. — Ecclesiastes 2:9-11

Solomon chased every earthly prize. And for a moment, it felt good. He enjoyed his wealth, his wisdom, and his work. But then he had that aha moment—the realization that everything he had built, earned, and experienced was just smoke in his hands. He thought bigger than most, yet even his dream was too small.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? We grind, climb, accumulate, and consume—always thinking the next thing will finally bring peace. A better salary, a bigger house, a longer vacation, a newer toy. But as Mick Jagger famously sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” And neither can we.

But our problem isn’t that we dream too big—it’s that we dream too small. We chase temporary things when we are made for eternal things. When God calls us to a Kingdom Dream, we settle for the American Dream.

Don't settle. Dream bigger. Invest better. Live smarter. Live for eternity.

So today, ask yourself: Am I chasing things that fade? If so, divert your heart, mind, and soul to something that lasts and is permanently fulfilling. You weren’t made for the Temporary Dream—you were made for Eternity.

#KingdomDream, #EternalPerspective, #ChasingWind

ASK THIS:

What temporary things am I tempted to chase for fulfillment?
How can I redirect my desires toward things of eternal value?
What does Solomon’s realization teach me about my own pursuits?
How can I practically live out a Kingdom Dream instead of a Temporary Dream?

DO THIS:

Evaluate what you’re chasing—does it have eternal value? If not, realign your heart with God’s Kingdom Dream today.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, open my eyes to the things that truly matter. Help me chase after You and invest in what lasts forever. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

Bigger Than I Thought.

We’re told that if we work hard enough, chase success, and indulge in life’s pleasures, we’ll finally be happy. That’s the American Dream, right? But what if that dream is too small?

Welcome to The Daily. We go through the bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, every single day.

Our text today is Ecclesiastes 2:9-11.

Don't settle. Dream bigger. Invest better. Live smarter. Live for eternity.

#KingdomDream, #EternalPerspective, #ChasingWind

ASK THIS:

What temporary things am I tempted to chase for fulfillment?
How can I redirect my desires toward things of eternal value?
What does Solomon’s realization teach me about my own pursuits?
How can I practically live out a Kingdom Dream instead of a Temporary Dream?

DO THIS:

Evaluate what you’re chasing—does it have eternal value? If not, realign your heart with God’s Kingdom Dream today.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, open my eyes to the things that truly matter. Help me chase after You and invest in what lasts forever. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

Bigger Than I Thought.

Previous Episode

Why It’s Never Enough Without God | Ecclesiastes 2:7-8

Have you ever worked tirelessly for something, convinced it would bring fulfillment—only to realize, after all your effort, that it still wasn’t enough? Solomon knew that feeling well. He didn’t just stumble into wealth and pleasure; he worked for it. He bought, gathered, and acquired more than anyone before him. Yet, in the end, it left him just as empty.

Welcome to The Daily. We go through the bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, every single day.

Our text today is Ecclesiastes 2:7-8.

I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. — Ecclesiastes 2:7-8

This account is not just a list of Solomon's possessions—it’s a record of his relentless pursuit. Solomon bought slaves, had vast herds and flocks, gathered silver and gold, and got entertainers and concubines. Every verb tells the story of a man striving, building, collecting—believing that just a little more would finally bring contentment. But it never did.

And isn’t that how we live?

We hustle, we save, we upgrade, thinking the next thing will bring lasting satisfaction. We work hard to fill our lives with more, only to find that more isn’t enough. If wealth, status, and pleasure could satisfy, Solomon would have been the happiest man on earth. Instead, his achievements became his confession: No matter how much you get, it will never be enough without God.

The harder we work for what doesn’t last, the more we miss what truly matters. Solomon teaches us that even our best efforts at self-fulfillment will fail if they’re apart from God.

What are you working so hard for? Is it leading to lasting joy or temporary satisfaction? Instead of striving for things that will fade, why not strive just as hard for what lasts forever? Jesus said, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27). The time and energy we spend chasing wealth and pleasure could be invested in knowing Christ, growing in faith, and storing up treasure in heaven. Work hard—but work for eternity.

#TrueFulfillment, #ChasingGodNotGold, #WorkForEternity

ASK THIS:

What have you been working hard for, and has it brought lasting fulfillment?
How does Solomon’s pursuit of wealth and pleasure compare to your own desires?
What does John 6:27 teach about what we should truly strive for?
How can you practically shift your focus from earthly gain to eternal treasure?

DO THIS:

Shift your focus from striving for temporary success to investing in what lasts—your relationship with God and His eternal kingdom.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, help me to recognize that no amount of wealth, success, or pleasure can satisfy my soul apart from You. Teach me to labor for what truly lasts and find my fulfillment in You alone. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

One Day When We All Get To Heaven.

Next Episode

Even the Wisest Man Hated Life | Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

No matter how much wisdom we gain, how many trophies we collect, or how well we plan, we all face the same fate. It’s an uncomfortable truth, but Solomon didn’t shy away from it. He wrestled with a reality we all try to ignore—does any of this really matter?

Welcome to The Daily. We go through the bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, every single day.

Our text today is Ecclesiastes 2:12-17.

So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. — Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, stood at the peak of human achievement. And yet, at the end of his reflection, he reached a disturbing conclusion—his wisdom and toil would eventually be left to another, whether wise or foolish.

What he sees is the injustice of wisdom and toil. No matter how much effort he poured into his work and put into protecting his work, someone else would always reap the benefits. Someone else would enjoy the wealth he worked for all his life. Someone else would take his throne and do unwise things with the kingdom. And worst of all? His wisdom couldn’t alter the unavoidable: both the wise and the fool share the same fate. The point? Death comes for all, erasing their memory from the minds of future generations.

This reality broke Solomon. “So I hated life,” he admitted. Not because life was meaningless in itself but because its bounties were brief, passing to those who did not earn them.

The temptation is to look at Solomon’s words and despair, but his frustration points us to the truth: if all we labor for is under the sun, it will never satisfy. Everything we build, everything we achieve, will eventually be given to someone else. If our meaning is found in our work, we will be crushed by the reality that it won’t last. We all know companies fail, businesses are sold, people are fired, careers are altered, all in the blink of an eye.

But we find hope if we shift our focus above the sun—beyond this temporary world. Our labor, when accomplished for God, has eternal significance. The Apostle Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

So, what do we do with this? Do we stop working, stop striving, and let life happen? No. But we must shift our perspective.

So here’s the challenge: Stop working for things that won’t outlive you. Start investing in what will outlast you.

How? Serve with eternity in mind. Work as if you are building something for God, not just yourself. Invest in people, not just projects. Prioritize relationships over rewards, faithfulness over fame, and obedience over outcomes. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God (Colossians 3:23).

If your toil is focused on earthly gain, you, like Solomon, will "Hate your toil." But if your toil is for the Kingdom, your labor is never in vain.

#EternalPerspective, #WisdomFromSolomon, #WorkForGod

ASK THIS: