Ecc 7: 8 the end of a matter is better than the beginning. We are near the end of a school year. Commencement Exercises. I always wondered why they are called Commencement Exercises, when they are in fact Ending exercises. Commencement is not till start of the year. So, we all do not see the same thing. For Solomon, the end of sickness is better than the beginning. The end of love is better than the beginning. We must be careful how we apply what we read. And are the thoughts of one person, binding on all people? What is God’s word, and what are the thoughts of people? Most people do not have the understanding to assess what they are reading, and therefore fall into the area of saying “God says” when it was in fact a person. For me. The end of sickness is better than the beginning. This life. And in such a way, the end of this life, is better than its beginning of this life. This life is full of pain, hardship, difficulties. Shattered dreams. Painful relationships. No light of change. No hope of change. So in this way, heaven is so much better than this life on earth Phil 1:23. So, I think, all Christians would agree, with both Solomon and Paul, the end of this life, is better than its beginning. Psalm 126: 5 Tears now and joy later. Lk 16::25 one received good in life, one bad. The deeper meaning of this is those who stood for Christ and received hardship, will be comforted. 1 Peter 1:13 Set your hope fully on the grace that will be given at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Somehow deep within we all perhaps hope to be like Job. He suffered hardship in this life, yet he also received in this life much much more than he ever lost. Deep within, we also want a good life, even if we suffer. We cannot imagine heaven, but we do know about earth. Hence we really do want the good things that others take for granted or others understand, and enjoy. We want Ps 126: 6 to be now. So how do we deal with the tension of knowing all the good things will be in heaven. Yet we want them now. And many things we want now, will not be in heaven. I mean, there is no marriage in heaven, so there is no procreation. This belongs to this life. So, how do we encourage ourselves? There are no easy answers in the mind. We could fill our minds with platitudes, but this does ease our questions. We grow weary of the stock answers. To encourage ourselves, in not having a good life, healthy life, not having bliss on earth, is very hard. But it must be. Others have what you want, and they try to tell you “ focus on heaven, focus on Jesus” whilst they themselves have the bliss you want, so their comfort is but misery. Speaking with a forked tongue. Not understanding at all. It can really hurt, all this “spiritual talk”. So, what is left? You and you alone with no one to understand you. Only you can say to yourself “ keep going in this miserable life, miss out on all the things others take for granted”. Only you can encourage yourself. So, keep going, God does understand, and he will bring you home. He sees your pain, hurt, frustrations. He alone has decided you will not have in this life, the good things others enjoy. Accept it. Don’t turn from God in anger.
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