Proverbs 16:4 The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
While reading the book of Ecclesiastes, I realized the importance of the new birth in Christ or being born again as Jesus explained it to Nicodemus. John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Solomon whose wisdom was unparalleled among men could see the need for something more than what could be owned, conquered, or pursued during our lifetime. He concluded that we were better off not to have been born than to live a life that is unfulfillable or chasing the unattainable during our allotted time on earth. Eccl.4:3 But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. for they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.
Solomon, like so many people today, could only see that being born into a world full of evil, poverty, and hardships was a waste of a life and brought up questions as to God’s integral reasoning and motives for creating man. What kind of God would create suffering? This is hands down the most asked question about God. Solomon could see the need for something divinely superior that would surpass the common daily existence he saw burdening mankind. He could not grasp what it was, so he concluded that all things in life were but the chasing of the wind and pointless.
What Solomon could not grasp or explain was the need for a rebirth in the spirit of man, and could not express it because the idea was an obscure vapour on the edges of his spiritual peripheral vision. He knew there was a need for something other than what he understood and saw happening daily, but could not grasp the mystery of God’s hidden salvation plan. He could see a need for something, but what that something was, frustrated him and his conclusions of life amounted to a pointlessness that appeared to demonstrate that everyone was chasing the wind. This points out the fact – to anyone looking on – that whoever is living without God in their heart, is wasting their life and relentlessly chasing the unattainable. Looking for eternal value in temporal living does not work.
God hid His plan for salvation until it was time to reveal it. Col. 1: 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. I am grateful to God for hiding the mystery of the new birth through Christ for all of mankind. Not only was this salvation plan hidden from all humanity, but also hidden from Satan the ruler of darkness. 1Cor. 2:8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The thing is, how are we going to respond to the gift of God’s salvation? Are we going to reject it and be used as an instrument for the day of trouble or are we going to accept the gift of salvation in Christ and be used for the righteous purposes of the Lord? Prov. 16:4 The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Are we going to live our lives proving that we were better off not to have been born or will our lives count for righteousness?
I agree that the world is full of evil and in a mess, but through Christ and our born-again life, we can walk through the evil of this world bringing the peace and overcoming strength that so many are looking for. Life is going to take more than positive sayings, declaring laws of attraction, and humming mantras of peace. We need to be reborn in the finished work of Christ so that our hearts are the dwelling place of the Godhead. From that position, we will be able to stand and confidently declare that it was good that we had been born for such a time as this. Est. 4:14b And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? May all our days that are in God’s hands be fulfilled and counted righteous in Christ. Amen!
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