"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future." Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV
One of the features I like most about Facebook is the Memories link. I really enjoy looking back to see what I was doing 'on this day' a year ago, two years ago or even ten years ago. And on the morning of May 27, 2019, Memories reminded me that I was participating in the Wear Blue Run to Remember with a huge crowd of friends and fellow runners. There were pictures showing people hugging, laughing and gathering for the Circle of Remembrance that is held before the start of the run every Memorial Day. "Oh my," I thought to myself as I compared that day to Monday's 2020 Run to Remember where there were still plenty of laughs but no hugs, no Circle of Remembrance and certainly no large gathering. "Who could have known that a virus would change the world as we know it?"
And you know, as the COVID-19 pandemic clearly showed us, no one can predict "their future." Life can change in an instant and there's absolutely nothing any one of us can do about it. In fact, Solomon was so aware of the uncertainty of life that he urged us to "be happy... when times are good." And we do this by treasuring those 'times' and the people we share them with. "But when times are bad," Solomon urged us to remember that God has made them both - something that should bring us great comfort when we remember that God uses the "one as well as the other" for our good and for His glory.
So let us smile when times are good knowing it could all change tomorrow. And let us smile even bigger when times are bad knowing that the Lord will use those times to draw us closer to Him. But no matter what, let us always remember that God is good. And although our future might be unknown to us, it's not unknown to Him.
Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that You are sovereign over all and that you are working all things for our good. Cause us to remember how fleeting life is that we would make the most of the time we have. Lord we love You and we thank You that we can trust You enough to say, “I know that You are good." It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
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