Don’t long for “the good old days.” This
is not wise… .Accept the way God does things,for
who can straighten what he has made crooked?
Ecclesiastes 7:10, 13 (NLT)
People
have different things in mind when they refer to “the good old days”. An old man (like me) may be thinking of those
early days when his strength could conquer anything. An elderly lady might long for times when
thoughts of “wrinkle cream” never entered her days. A business owner might long for the days when
others were more honest and the market didn’t beat you up like a road full of
rocks. All of us who are past the summer of life may be thinking of ball
games, pretend tea parties and the innocence of the “better times” of a
carefree childhood.
Solomon
says that’s not wise. Frankly, the good
ol’ days were never that good! Memory has a way of rationalizing-out the
shortcomings of previous days…rose-colored glasses, if you will. Rather, it’s better to accept the reality of
where you are right now than to throw precious time in the trash, wishing you
could go back to better times. Solomon
says it’s vanity; just an illusion.
The
preacher of Ecclesiastes encourages us to face the reality of this moment and
to accept that God does engineer circumstances to work out His will, and He has
brought us to this point.
And
there IS, indeed a point to it all.
God
has brought you to this day, this moment, with all your vitamin pills, daily
medications and wrinkle cream, for his glory.
That’s the point!
While
you have breath in your body – at age 29 or 99 – God’s intended purpose for
each of us is to glorify God and live your days with joy, expectancy and
integrity. To do otherwise is to swear
at the darkness and dim the light of God’s eternal purposes in creation and
redemption.
I
was reminded of this Sunday as we recognized a high school graduate in
worship. I asked Lillee to share some of
her plans for studies at the college where she would attend this fall. She shared what her major would be, and then
said, clearly and with great purpose, it’s a vast field!
That’s
the point – looking forward with expectancy and eagerness to see what can be
learned.
That’s
the tone I’ve heard in missionaries’ plans to serve in a needy area.
That’s
the urgency I’ve heard from a fledgling politician who wanted to make a
difference.
That’s
the hope I’ve heard in a new mother’s voice for her newborn child’s future.
For You, Today…
Question: Are you looking back to the good ol’
days?
Or are you pressing-on
for what God’s call may be for today?
Answer that and you’ll know what to do
with the rest of your day!
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