Mike’s Musings ….
Bad Things Happen … So Do Good Things
Solomon wrote, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) When I heard a preacher use that passage as a text for the funeral of a young man who lost his life in a traffic wreck, I was impressed with its meaning. Combined with Hebrews 9:27 and James 4: 13 – 17, one begins to focus on life and its challenges. Both the good and bad of life happen to us all. What we do with these experiences prepares us for the inevitable!
Granted, some things seem devastating to us; even ending careers, dreams, or even life itself. Think of the families who have lost their homes to fires, consuming all but the clothes on their bodies as they fled to safety. Devasting doesn’t describe their emotion. But they are alive! Isn’t that something good? Think of the businessman whose needed equipment suffers a catastrophic failure and is not insured against such mistakes made in maintenance. The cost to repair the machine is beyond his means, and without the machine, he is out of business. Yet, through the kindness of others, he can borrow the needed equipment to finish his started projects, earn enough money to compensate for his loss, and start again! For the one who has lost their lifelong companion, or a child – there is no replacement of the flesh. They are devastated by their loss, and many grieve for years, rather than days. But if they have God and His comfort in their life, most realize they are never truly alone (Hebrews 13:3 – 6). These grasp the full measure of God’s providence and find even in death, there can be goodness.
Yes, bad things happen. But so do good things! I muse on the skills souls develop by making the best of a bad situation. I muse on the remarkable increase of faith when even the strongest of Christians are challenged with unfortunate circumstances but realize they still have God’s promise of eternity with Him if they abide faithfully. I muse on the reality that many complain about the bad events of their lives, but seldom express joy for the goodness of life! Yes, we face challenges every day, but through them all, we can be more than conquerors if we obey Him in all we say and do (Romans 8: 37 – 39).