Thank and Think
“Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.” (Ecclesiastes. 7:13-14)
The same man who penned these words recognized that everything had its time and season. He knew that there were times when you had to go through difficulty, sometimes because of your personal mistakes, sometimes because of the mistakes of others, and sometimes just because.
We often think that we have to fix everything. When we try to fix it and it doesn’t work out, we get the idea that we are not worth much. This man of wisdom realized that some things just had to be accepted. There are some things you cannot straighten out. “Who can straighten what he has made crooked?” There are some things that God has done just because. It may be difficult for us to see and understand the purpose, but He knows the reason and the result. God just knows more about life than we do.
How do we deal with things when they are out of our control? How can we cope with life when it is full of surprises? How are we suppose to feel when life is winding around, racing around sharp curves and thundering over tall hills and low valleys like a roller coaster? Solomon gives us some help.
First, we must consider God and what He has done and is doing. Instead of becoming frantic and running to and fro, sit down and consider God. Better stated, “THINK GOD!” Consider the magnitude of His control. There is nothing that God cannot know and do. He has the ability to perform far beyond our capability to conceive, much less understand.
Do you remember the words of the Hebrew writer in regard to a stronger faith? “Consider Jesus…” When was the last time you sat down and thought about God and His ability to care for us? Jesus rocked His disciples with a simple illustration of faith, trust and remembrance: “Look at the birds of the air…”, He said. He called the disciples to think about God and His ability to care for those He created. Think about God!
Secondly, Solomon advised us to “THANK GOD.” “When times are good, be happy…” Whether we understand what happens to us as a positive or a negative, we can always have an attitude of thanksgiving about it. The New Testament is filled with verses teaching us the need to be thankful. Paul stated that he could be content in whatever situation he found himself. Why? He was thankful for the working of God in his life. As with Paul, our attitude should always reflect gratitude.
Instead of getting to the point of blaming God, we should get to the point of praising Him. On our worst day a little thinking will tell us that God is good to us. Even in our most impoverished moments we have treasures that are of more value that the greatest treasures the world can boast. On the days we feel the most unloved, we can rest assured that God loves us more than we can imagine.
Do you want to survive life? “THINK AND THANK GOD.”