In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, David’s son and king of Israel, shared under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God some thoughts about life. The words of Solomon in Scripture, as well as every other word in the Bible, are totally relevant to our times and situations.

            In Ecclesiastes 7:14, Solomon declared, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.”

            We have difficulty linking God to everyday life. If times are good, we are happy but typically take the credit for it ourselves. When times are bad, our first question might be, “What have I done wrong that God is punishing me?”

            Both attitudes are extreme patterns of thinking that reflect wrongly on the living God of heaven. God is in control. Isaiah 40 declares the greatness and the power of God. We cannot doubt His overruling hand.

            At times, God is a desert God; that is, He leads His people into desert experiences so He can show His strength to us and/or through our lives. He also desires to teach us things about ourselves and/or about Himself.

            When God delivered the nation of Israel from bondage in Egypt, He took them into the desert. The desert is a place the Israelites could not survive without divine intervention. Moses explained God’s process to Israel in Deuteronomy 8:2-4,

 

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years (italics mine).

 

            We are facing a time that could be more difficult than any of us have ever experienced. It’s not a time to cast blame or live in worry or fear. As Solomon said, consider that God who made the good times also makes the bad times. It’s not necessarily punishment; it’s a time when God seeks to show Himself strong on our behalf.

            Jesus taught, in Matthew 6:25, “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” He concluded this thought by saying, “Seek first his [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (verse 33).

            This is no time to close ranks and live in self-protection; it’s time to look up. God is God; there is nobody else. He is very capable of carrying us through anything.

            It is time to seek God’s kingdom, to bring “up there down here.” We are to seek His righteousness, provided for us on the cross of Calvary.
            If we’re focusing on the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, we have little time to dwell on our food and clothing needs. Jesus said, “All these things will be given to you.” Isn’t that enough to sustain us?