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"In the day of prosperity be joyful"

Text: Ecclesiastes 7:14

GOD’S PROFOUND WISDOM

The wisdom of God is so deep it is impossible to totally fathom it. Yet, it does not mean that we do not try to grow deeper in our understanding of God and His ways.

“In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other,
So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.”
Ecclesiastes 7:14

1. God’s “appointments”

a) Solomon believed that God is involved in everything.

b) He does not pretend to know everything about God.

c) His observations are worthy of further study.

2. “In the day of prosperity be joyful”

a) There may indeed be “a day of prosperity”.

i) The word “day” may mean “years”.

ii) It is not to be taken literally.

iii) But it may suggest that the day of prosperity may only be temporary.

b) This may be a time of:

i) Success

ii) Achievement

iii) Even prosperity

c) It is perfectly correct to feel “joyful”.

3. “But in the day of adversity consider”

a) The day of prosperity may not last.

b) It may give way to “the day of adversity”.

c) The wise advice is: “to consider”.

d) The nuances of this thought:

i) To ponder

ii) To think wisely

iii) To include God as we try and understand the adversity faced.

4. “Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other”

a) Solomon thinks that we should consider God in our search for understanding.

i) He was there in the day of prosperity.

ii) He is still there in the day of adversity.

b) All things are “appointed” by God.

i) This is a profound thought.

ii) It is not an easy thought to fathom at all.

5. “So that man can find out nothing that will come after him”

a) Solomon posits this profound thought.

b) God allows for the vagaries of life.

c) These changes of life cannot be fully predicted.

d) Man cannot find out what the future may hold.

i) A person may succeed and do well in life.

ii) His children may not find the same measure of success.

iii) They may find that they have to struggle with adversity instead of prosperity.

6. What is the significance of this thought?

a) We learn a deep lesson of humility.

b) We learn also that we need to seek to comprehend God better.

c) We need to ask how we may fathom God’s hand in our life.