Solomon was known to be the wisest man. He wrote the Song of Solomon, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Solomon experienced many things and pleasures in life with his great riches. And his conclusion of life is an urge for men to please God. Ecclesiastes was written in his old age and we can see he moved from records of sensuality (Song of Solomon) to fatherly advice. One significant chapter of Ecclesiastes is chapter 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. The small, insignificant folly of man can ruin his or her reputation and honor. This reminds us to be careful with little decisions in our life. Folly in such areas affects our life more than we can imagine. It is like dropping detergent into our drinking water. They are dead flies in the perfume.

May we examine the little areas of our life as we ponder about Christmas and the coming new year. May we start to clear the dead flies in our perfume.