Neville Goddard on Ecclesiastes 5:17-20 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Ecclesiastes 5 in context

Scripture Focus

17All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

18Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

19Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

20For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:17-20

Biblical Context

Ecclesiastes 5:17-20 speaks of days shadowed by darkness and sorrow, yet also proclaims it good to eat, drink, and enjoy one’s labor as God’s gift. Riches and the ability to enjoy them are likewise given by God, and the heart's joy is the sign of that gift.

Neville's Inner Vision

To the reader, I remind you that the Bible's scenes are states of consciousness. The darkness described is not an exterior exile but a felt sense you entertain in the moment. When you fix your attention on labor, food, and drink as blessings, you awaken to the fact that God, the I AM within, has already granted you a portion. Wealth and the power to enjoy are not distant favors but the activity of your inner state. Your days, as described, are not numbered by time but by memory—change the memory, and the day becomes vibrant with joy. God answers the heart in its joy; when you cultivate the feeling of abundance, the world appears to respond in kind. The gift is given, waiting in the joy of your present awareness; you simply learn to dwell there, and the outer becomes a mirror of your inner acceptance.