"No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content."~Ecc. 1:8
"The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow."~Ecc. 1:18
"For everything there is a season...A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance....A time to search and a time to quit searching....A time to tear and a time to mend."~Ecc. 3:1, 4, 6, 7
"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end."~Ecc. 3:11
"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble."~Ecc. 4:9-10
"Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."~Ecc. 4:12
"Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have."~Ecc. 6:9
"Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny."~Ecc. 6:10
"Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us."~Ecc. 7:3
"Don't long for "the good old days." This is not wise."~Ecc. 7:10
"Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God."~Ecc. 7:14
"Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest."~Ecc. 11:4
Well I really like some of these verses. In a weird way, they comforted me. It's so hard being in this stage of life, not knowing what will happen in the future, but we can rest in the knowledge that God has our future planned out. I read part of the "meaning and message" part before the book of Ecclesiastes and this is what it said:
"The wisdom of Ecclesiastes is in coping with and even thriving in this life despite its brevity and apparent futility. Although we cannot comprehend all of God's actions or the purpose of our lives, Ecclesiastes assures us that our sovereign God has a strong hand in all that happens, both positive and tragic. Those who trust God will take the apparent futility of life as an incentive to diligently and wisely achieve what they can while they are alive and to enjoy God's good gifts in the process."
So true! We are only on this earth for a short time, so take advantage of it! It's so hard sometimes because we forget the big picture! We are living for God and to spread His word to others, not living for ourselves so that we may have an easy life. Our lives are not made to be all rainbows and unicorns (cheesy, I realize!); there will be suffering! But we're suffering so that we come closer to God, which is all that matters overall!! So it's okay to be sad sometimes! Cry! Yell! It's okay! There is a season for everything that we ever go through. The sadness is what shapes us as an individual. I know that without the hard experiences I've been through, I would definitely NOT be the person I am today. As crazy as it sounds, I'm thankful for those experiences because I would not have the faith I do today if it were not for those things to happen. I am realizing that God is what truly brings joy to my life. I keep trying to fill it with meaningless things, but I find I'm the happiest when I'm reading His word, sitting outside in His beautiful creation, or singing praises to Him. I just get that giddy feeling! Other material things/earthly relationships don't bring that same type of joy into my heart. For example, God has given me so many beautiful sunsets, bright starry nights, and powerful thunderstorms this summer and I absolutely love it! I feel as if they're completely for me because they put a smile on my face every time. I will literally run outside and skip towards the sunset with my camera when I see that it's beautiful outside. I feel like a little kid again...and God does all of that for me! He gave me a beautiful starry night for my birthday and I felt so special =)
As much as I've jumped around in this blog, point is to really focus on what's important in life, instead of filling your days with meaningless things. Yes, it is good to have relationships and experiences, but if they're bogging you down, remember God loves you and will always love you.
God bless all of you!!!
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this tonight. This is the part that stood out most to me and brought fresh tears to my eyes:
"But we're suffering so that we come closer to God, which is all that matters overall!! So it's okay to be sad sometimes! Cry! Yell! It's okay! There is a season for everything that we ever go through. The sadness is what shapes us as an individual. I know that without the hard experiences I've been through, I would definitely NOT be the person I am today."
by the way, I'm preaching on the topic of suffering in a couple weeks. If it's alright with you, could I maybe share some of this in my sermon, if it fits in?
Yes, of course you can!! It's just something I've really been thinking about lately and I don't think many people realize that suffering can be a good thing! But yes, of course you can =)
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