Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked? When times are good, be happy: But when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore. a man cannot discover anything about his future. ~Ecclesiastes 7:13-15
His [Job’s] wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and Die! He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. ~Job 2:9-12
Now listen, you who say, “today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. ~James 4:13-16
Have you ever participated in one of those stories that are often told at kids camp, or as part of a comedy routine in which the narrator tells about something awful and the other person, or the audience responds, “that’s too bad,” and the narrator comes back with, “No! That’s good!” and proceeds to tell you why what happened is a good thing, to which you respond, “Oh, that is good,” but now the narrator says, “No, that’s bad!” and on and on where good things are twisted to be bad and bad things are good until the situation being reported is hopelessly confusing and you have no clue how to feel any more. It’s just a fun comedy act, that usually leaves everyone laughing, but does demonstrate how closely the good things that happen and the bad things that happen are so closely connected. Here’s an example.
Joseph, son of Jacob, begins life as his father’s favorite. (Oh! That’s good! No, that’s bad.) Jealousy drives his brothers to sell him to a traveling band of Ishmaelites, who sell him to a slave auction. (Oh, that’s bad. No, that’s good.) A high government official buys Joseph off the auction block and is so impressed with the young Hebrew’s management skills that he makes him his right-hand man. (Oh, that’s good. No, that’s bad.) The official’s wife falsely accuses Joseph of sexual harassment and he lands in prison. (Oh, that’s bad. No, that’s good.) He is promoted in prison, and in the course of his duties he interprets a dream for Pharaoh’s butler, who promises to put in a good word for the innocent Joseph. (Oh, that’s good. No, that’s bad.) The butler forgets his promise. (Oh, that’s bad. No, that’s good.) Two years later, Pharaoh has a dream and wants an interpreter and the butler remembers Joseph. (Oh, that’s good!)
That way of telling the story demonstrates how the good things that happen and the bad things that happen are so closely connected. The teacher who wrote Ecclesiastes isn’t playing a game in these verses. He is reminding us, again, that through the winding road full of twists and turns that is our life, God is in control and He is working for our good.
“When times are good, be happy: But when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.” It is interesting that the teacher tells us to enjoy the good times, but adversely, in the bad times, he does not tell us to be disheartened or discouraged. He also doesn’t say “Be happy anyway.” Emotions are a natural response to the circumstances and need to be acknowledged. So, instead of “Buck up!” He says, “Consider,” or, “Think about it.” God has made both good and hard times, just as He has allowed sunshine and rain, Winter and Summer. They are all under the control of God. When something good happens to someone they often say, “Somebody up there likes me!” But when something bad happens, they need to remember that God loves them no matter what they are experiencing, good or bad. You are always loved.
Sometimes, it’s hard to feel loved, especially through a difficult twist in the road, but God’s love never changes, and he never loses sight of you. Job’s wife was ready to be done with life, and who could blame her? She and Job had certainly been dealt a staggering blow that I’m not sure I could have withstood. Job, however, understands what the teacher is trying to get us to learn here: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
Sometimes, we balk at Paul’s admonition in 1 Thess. 5:18 to “Give thanks in all situations.” That’s impossible, we say, and we’re right. In our humanity, giving thanks in every situation does sound like an impossible demand. However, let’s note the careful distinction Paul made. He did not say give thanks FOR all things. He said IN all things. In any situation, we can remember to give thanks FOR God’s loving concern for us.
When we know our author, when we know that our author is in control of writing our story, when we know that He is good and that He works all things for our good, then, giving thanks becomes a little more possible, with His help, because we trust that, even though our current situation is awful, painful, hard to bear, fatiguing to endure, good is being accomplished somehow, even though we don’t see it.
“Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.” When times are good, we tend to think that they will always be good, so we look into our futures and believe that it will end well. The reverse is also true. When we are in the middle of a hard time, we can’t believe that it could get worse so, we think, we are doomed! In truth, we will experience blessings and challenges throughout our entire lives. When the good times come, we should enjoy them. When struggles come, we can be thankful that God is with us and we can give thanks for the lessons we are learning.
What we do know is, when it is over, we will enjoy eternity with Him, our author, and live happily ever after! After all, we are the princes and princesses of His story. That’s not bad at all. That’s good! Very good.
Prayer: Lord help me remember, that when I am in a tough spot, I can still give thanks, for your presence and protection at the very least. So, in every situation, You are there and I will give thanks for that. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Blessed Be Your Name
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