Matthew 19:1-15; Numbers 9-10; Ecclesiastes 7
God directed the Israelites with a cloud; he did not tell them where they were going or when they would leave or how long they would stay—they had to trust and simply follow. How hard that must have been: to simply follow with no justification. But isn’t the same true today? We don’t necessarily know the reasons or the time frame of what we are doing or where God is leading us, but we should follow faithfully anyway. Why should we just follow God? Because he isn't limited by the present. He knows how things are going to work out and he loves us so much, he wants to lead us to good things.
Lots of good stuff from Solomon:
A good reputation at the time of death is better than loving care at birth. At the beginning of life, we don’t have to work hard—people take care of babies and children and there are few worries (most of the time). Most people would say that being a child is the best or easiest part of life, in fact, I’ve said it before myself. However, Solomon has a different idea. It is more rewarding to have a good reputation when you end your life because it shows perseverance through trials, integrity in questionable times, honesty when it was tempting to lie. Building of character and faith through life is not easy but it is far better than an easy, untested life.
“A sensible person mourns.” I am an emotional person, I think that is in part because God created me to really care. This reminds me that it is good to feel, good to cry, good to hurt, rather than being fake and not caring.
Good stuff! “Only fools get angry quickly and hold a grudge.” I need help remembering this sometimes!
And it isn’t wise to ask “Why is everything worse than it used to be?” Perhaps this means that we should not live in the past, or compare our current struggles with past struggles. We should be growing in our faith, which means that we can handle more difficult trials the more we go through. Instead of asking God, "why is this happening to me," we need to be asking him "how will this help me?"
What is interesting about Ecclesiastes is that it often surprises me. It says don’t destroy myself by being too good…perfection? Trying to be “too good” will destroy me. I am a perfectionist and I know that seeking perfection is dangerous and it so important not to seek something that isn’t possible or worthwhile. I cannot be perfect in anything, and so to pursue it means that I am not pursing my Lord.
Don’t ask the advice or listen to the words of everyone. The truth is not everyone supports what I do or who I am, and I will only cause myself heartache and frustration by listening to everyone’s opinion of me. I need to focus on the word of God and his voice in my heart.
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