Ecclesiastes 9.14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
One of the most unprofitable things to be occupied with is the quest to try to understand fully the events of life as they play out on Planet Earth. Many Christians have the notion that if you do everything according to God’s will, then, presto! good things happen automatically. Our passages this morning clearly remind us of a fact of life that we all wrestle with at times: the apparent injustice of life here on planet earth. The righteous suffering and the unrighteous doing well and prospering. This kind of mental reasoning can most certainly be a cause of great consternation and rank unbelief in God.
We must accept the fact that the events of life on earth are not always a straight path from home plate to first base. Life is full of riddles and mysteries. Surprises and question marks. Like it or not, that is the way it is. And here is the bottom line. All of this is taking place on earth right now and God is on His throne, ruling and reigning with perfect wisdom, power and grace.
The Christian life is not a puzzle of circumstances that is dealt to us to figure out. The Christian life is a mystery of absolute certainties and uncertainties at the same time.
So what is a Christian to do when life is “not fair” or seems to heading in a direction that is further away from what we perceive to be the will of God? Fear God, submit to His sovereign hand over all, walk close to Your Shepherd Jesus, guard your tongue from speaking rashly, and above all, do not try to manipulate circumstances according to your feelings or ideas. Life has riddles, life is complex, but faith in Jesus and His gospel provides the answer. Life is short, death is sure, sin the cause and Christ The cure. Whatever comes your way, beloved, live for Jesus.
