Some Christians greatly dislike Ecclesiastes–preachers, included. I think they don’t understand it. Ecclesiastes is a gut-check. If you are optimistic, if every message you speak is “turn that frown upside-down,” you are missing the gut of the Bible. THE BIBLE IS FOR PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS—REAL problems, that can’t be fixed by clichés and bumper-sticker theology. When you stand staring into the grave of your best friend, or when your child is dying of leukemia, or you are jobless for months and about to lose everything, you need reality and truth, not sugary-sweet but hollow answers.
God’s word speaks the hard truth. When you are grieving and depressed, everyone tries to cheer you up, and you get sick of it. What you need is someone to agree with you, to validate your feelings, to admit it: life is HARD. IT HURTS like a broken bone. Of course, you are in pain. You should be. Jesus said, “In this world, you WILL have trouble.” You WILL! Ignore the “cheer up” messages of those who have forgotten the feeling of real pain. God KNOWS what you’re going through.
Job said, “Man was born for adversity as sparks fly upward” 5:7. LIFE HURTS.
But Job’s friends said: “good guys always win, bad guys lose, life is fair—so if you’re suffering, you need to repent because you are obviously one of the bad guys.” FALSE. God showed up and told THEM to repent. Life is hard, and sometimes the GOOD GUYS suffer! And sometimes bad guys seem to have it so easy! THAT is the dose of reality that hurting people are desperate to hear! And that is the message of Job and Ecclesiastes. Job says ‘you will suffer, but God is sovereign, and He will redeem your life,’ and “though He slay me, yet will I praise Him” 13:15. Jesus said, “In this world, you WILL have trouble, but be encouraged, because I have OVERCOME the world.”
God, your truth gives us courage & faith. Thank you!
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Household Words: 