Putting Sorrow in Perspective

Ecclesiastes 7:3,4 Sorrow is even better than laughter, because when our face is sad, our heart becomes good. A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time.

None of us want bad things to happen to us, and yet they do. None of us wants sorrow to fill our hearts, and yet from time to time, it does. Suffering is an essential and unavoidable part of the human condition.

Well, that’s a cheery bit of news then, isn’t it? Thank you so much for sharing that with me Berni! Yeah, right. But let’s get real here. When we’re in the middle of it, it’s almost impossible to see any upside whatsoever to suffering, even though it can have a powerfully positive impact on our lives.

Ecclesiastes 7:3,4 Sorrow is even better than laughter, because when our face is sad, our heart becomes good. A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time.

Fancy God saying that sorrow is even better than laughter; that a wise person thinks about death. But He has His reasons.

Why is sorrow even better than laughter? Because when our face is sad, our heart becomes good. In other words, sorrow is a time of opportunity. When all you have to cling to is God, you get to discover His love and His faithfulness firsthand. That changes you. It makes you even more reliant on Him.

Sorrow is our opportunity to draw close to Him in a way that will completely transform us.

And why does a wise person think about death? Because life isn’t just about having a good time. You and I have been put here by God for a purpose: to glorify Him through the gifts, time and resources that He’s given us to steward. And time is short, my friend. Time is short.

So let’s put sorrow into perspective. When God brings sorrow our way, He’s handing us one of the greatest opportunities that we’ll ever be given.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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Linda

It’s In The Valleys I Grow by Tracy Mayfield Sometimes life seems hard to bear, Full of sorrow, trouble, and woe, ...

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It’s In The Valleys I Grow
by Tracy Mayfield
Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble, and woe,
It’s then I have to remember,
That it’s in the valleys I grow

If I always stayed on the mountain top,
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God’s love,
And would be living in vain

I have so much to learn,
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it’s in the valleys I grow

I do not always understand,
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing,
My Lord will see me through

My little valleys are nothing,
When I picture Christ on the cross,
He went through the valley of death,
His victory was Satan’s loss

Forgive me Lord, for complaining,
When I’m feeling very low,
Just give me a gentle reminder,
That it’s in the valley I grow

Continue to strengthen me Lord,
And use my life each day,
To share your love with others,
And help them find their way

Thank you for the valleys Lord,
For this one thing I know,
The mountain tops are glorious,
But it’s in the valleys I grow!