8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.
9 Do not be [h]eager in your heart to be angry,
For anger resides in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
11 Wisdom along with an inheritance is good
And an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For wisdom is [i]protection just as money is [j]protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.
13 Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?
14 In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.
Wow, where to even start with this section? It continues on from yesterday, with the idea of the end being better than the beginning. In our flesh, however, we often think the opposite. How many times have you heard (or said), “I remember when…” Sure, sometimes you remember things being harder, but frequently we look at the past as if it was so much better than today.
Yet it should not be. God doesn’t expect us to become worse and worse–humanity maybe, but not his followers. We are to be refined as gold or silver, crafted into something He can use for good. So keep in mind the word of God when you are tempted to say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”… “For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.” (v. 10)
Moving right along though, as we continue to look at the value of wisdom, he compares wisdom and money. They are both valuable for the security they bring, but wealth is not reliable (v. 12). God might have other plans, and can you “straighten what He has bent?” (v. 13) This last part is harder still: God makes the day of prosperity, and the day of adversity (v. 14).
As we are reminded often, Jesus didn’t promise smooth sailing, in part because it isn’t healthy for us. As we began, God desires to mold and shape us. We often use the examples of fire or storms, and neither of those is particularly fun to experience. They are beautiful to behold, and necessary, but walking right through the middle? Yikes!
Solomon reminds us at the end, that God doesn’t allow us to know the future… but He knows exactly what is coming, and what trials will help prepare you for the future. If things are going well, enjoy it, but don’t get comfy. Trust God, even when the ride gets bumpy, knowing that He made today just as well as yesterday, and you’re in good hands (far better than some others I won’t mention).