9  Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. 10  Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity. 1  Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them" (Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1)

Youth is a great blessing. Strength, vitality, the newness of life and a yearning to learn, grow and mature form the building blocks for development to adulthood. But youth can become a stumbling block to a mature faith. The temptations of pride coupled with haste have taken many young people down paths of pain and sorrow. So, learn from Solomon and be wise about being young. First, rejoice in your youth - enjoy being young! Always remember you live before God and will answer to Him for all the choices you make. Then, remove sorrow from your life by putting away sin. Also, remember God now, not later. Putting off following God until later does not make it easier, but harder, to turn to Him. Youth does not last. So, while you are young, choose wisely.

6  Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. 7  Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. 8  "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "All is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 12:6-8)

With the passing of years and the inevitable decline of body and mind, we all will finally slip the silver cord upon which our life hangs, and we die. How crucial it is, then, to remember your Creator in old age as well as in youth. The certainty and finality of death testifies to the vanity of life "under the sun." If life on earth is all there is to being human, then we are left without hope and ultimately unfulfilled. When you live without God, "all is vanity." But, a life lived with God fulfills your life's purpose. Are you ready to die? That depends on how you live. "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all" (Eccl. 12:13).